Bullet Proof
by zestychicken2
Summary: Sasuke always hated his brother but now had the chance to one up him in a bet. The bet involved one person: Sakura Haruno. With all of the ups and downs, who would have thought he'd fall in love? Now, he just has to prove it to Sakura herself. SasuSaku
1. Return to an Unfamiliar Home

**Bullet Proof**

**Sasuke always hated his brother. Itachi always had it all, not affected by what ruined Sasuke's life. But now he had one chance to get one up on his brother. It involved one person: Sakura Haruno…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 1: Returning to an Unfamiliar Home**

The lights blurred as they drove past, objects, signs, and illuminated street lamps shooting by too fast to make out. His chin was resting in the palm of his hand, his elbow up by the window.

The car was silent for once – there was an anticipation running through those three people as though it were part of their very body. He let his eyes close as he thought about what would happen when he returned. It was almost a decade ago that he had left his home… but returning now, he didn't know what he should expect.

He leaned his forehead against the window, the gentle ride of the car not allowing him to constantly flick the glass with his head. The blonde sitting next to him looked through a few papers, never bothering to tell the teenager what they were about.

He glanced forward in the car, seeing a few things in the passenger seat, and watched the man drive a little bit. His long snow-white hair was smushed against the seat, as he leaned back, uncomfortable in such a car – too much tension filled the scene.

He returned to looking out the window, and they were now in a spot where no light escaped the trees of the scenic route – the driver was probably getting tired of going through towns with too many obnoxious things as a roadblock, or distraction on the side of the road.

"Sasuke?" His voice was spoken by the one sitting in the front of the car, and he turned his head to look at the man, "You okay back there, kiddo?"

"Fine." He grumbled, before glancing at the blonde who was also staring at him.

"Here's your schedule…" He handed him one piece of paper.

The classes on there were alright he guessed... He excelled at almost everything given to him, and he figured he'd even be a few months ahead of everyone else there. He first had homeroom – big surprise… Though that wasn't a class he was used to, so it definitely had potential of being interesting. After that, he had a grand waste of time in math class – his best subject… then to biology and then to lunch. After that was gym – great, people barfing all over the place, all the time – then English, foreign language (wonderful that it didn't tell him which one), and to end the day was art.

"Thanks…" He mumbled, setting it down on the middle seat, unoccupied to his left.

"You're going to love it at this school, Sasuke!" Suddenly the blonde started bouncing up and down, getting overly excited once again.

This had happened just as the two adults were packing Sasuke's things into the car, but at this hour no one seemed to find the outburst funny.

"Naruto…"

"Yeah Jiraiya?" He innocently questioned.

"Shut up…" He rolled his eyes, and turned on the radio… loud enough to drown out Naruto's mumbles, but soft enough so it wouldn't give anyone a headache.

The music made Sasuke relax as he nestled into the seat and leaned his head back. "Where are we?" He questioned.

"About ten minutes away…" Naruto whooped in the background, but Sasuke turned his back and again glanced out the window.

This place was no longer familiar to him anymore. He had spent more time further north than he did ever living in the place he was born. The trees were different, because of the climate there, and the buildings were taller and more pushed together in the distance – that must have been the downtown… bigger or smaller, he had yet to decide.

"It's always nice to go home after a long weekend away!" Naruto sighed and also lay back against the seat, putting his knees up on the back of Jiraiya's seat, ignoring the man's protests.

"Heh…" the boy sitting next to him didn't say much after that grunt of a response.

"Naruto, when we get home… You best find that stupid cat of yours and make sure it didn't get into the food on the counter."

"I'm telling you, it's you when you're _sleeping!_ Ramen only likes ramen noodles!"

Though he didn't show it, in the inside of his mind, Sasuke had to let on a small smile. He had heard numerous times about Naruto's weird, golden cat he had so creatively named Ramen after his favorite food. And again, though he didn't show it on the outside, he was interested in seeing Naruto's world, instead of the other way around.

It seemed like him and his godfather had a pretty strong connection – after all… Jiraiya had pretty much raised the boy from birth.

Suddenly, cutting into his thought process, he was punched in the arm. He was about to bark at the blonde for being a loser, and disruptive and damn that _hurt_, but instead his eyes took to the direction Naruto was pointing.

"That's Konaha High! We'll be heading there as of tomorrow!"

Without answering, he watched the giant school until it was completely engulfed by darkness once more – there weren't many street lamps that actually worked on the side of the road. He sighed over exasperated, causing Naruto to roll his eyes at the overdramatic nature of his best friend.

The blonde, he hoped, would still be his best friend. Though he got annoyed and irritated with the ramen loving teen rather often, he was the reason Sasuke communicated with anyone at all, and had helped him in the greatest time of need. He had never heard much about Naruto's life at school, so he was pretty sure that by default they would stick together.

It wasn't as though Sasuke needed someone, but hey – if Naruto was going to stick with him he was all for it, especially coming _back_ to the unfamiliar city where he once lived.

Jiraiya's vehicle slowed down – he was trying to read the instructions of the other man in a vain attempt to locate Sasuke's house. As they drove through rich neighbor hoods, and past fancy condo buildings and such, the raven haired teen turned out being more interested than he had let on, and that made him wonder what was in store for him…

They came up to a gated property, and Sasuke watched Naruto's jaw drop into his lap – he had never seen a house so big. There weren't many lights on at the moment, and as they stopped at the gate the guard asked for a name.

"Jiraiya Otsuca… I'm here on the behalf of Noriaki Sugiyama –"

Immediately the gate opened, and the man tipped his hat at the car, driving along the clean, black road up to the house.

They circled around a fountain and stopped in front of the large grey building. Naruto immediately hopped out of the car and ran forward, stopping short of the steps leading to the door. "This is… the biggest house… I've ever seen…"

Sasuke slowly pushed open the car door and lazily stood straight. Jiraiya opened the trunk and grabbed a few bags, nodding at the boy as he moved forward. Sasuke heaved the last two bags up, swinging them onto his shoulder as he moved to join the other two.

He pushed open the door, noticing that it was already unlocked. The blonde was right behind him, excited to see the inside of this mansion. The first thing they met was a grand living room, with halls leading to unknown places, a beautiful fireplace to one side, and from an entry way they both could see the spacious dining room. Sasuke dropped his bags on the floor and stepped forward, memories flooding over him that he had suppressed nine years ago.

"Sasuke… You… _lived_ here?" He gasped, walking forward a little as well. His mouth open and closed like a gold fish, his eyes wide and stupid looking.

A butler walked past, his old form wobbling as he walked, but he recognized an Uchiha when he saw one and bowed slightly, "Welcome back Mr. Uchiha…"

He nodded, though didn't meet the man's eyes. The man didn't make another gesture towards the boy, and picked up his bags, "I assume you remember where to go?"

"My own house… I should…" The butler nodded and shuffled up the stairs.

They were old stairs, though the wood on it was still shiny and beautiful, while the carpet chased the outline of the staircase.

_A younger version of himself, and his brother, two-three years older than him both holding hands as they walked down the stairs. Sasuke held his favorite toy – a green dinosaur in one hand, and his brother held a bag in the other. _He shook his head to get the images to leave his memory – to leave the staircase.

The grey carpet matched the Victorian style of the mansion, a little bit dark, but otherwise absolutely stunning.

The ceiling was high, and the top floor had a balcony overlooking the entrance to the home.

"_Ani! Are mother and father home?" An even younger version of Sasuke stuck his head between the railing poles of the balcony trying to see better. "Ani, Ani!" His brother pushed the door open to a room and began to laugh, "I'm stuck Ani!" He called, tears leaking out of his eyes._

"_Mother and father will be home soon, Sasuke… I'll help you – don't squirm…"_ This time, the teenager averted his eyes to get the two figures out of his mind.

The staircase trailed the wall, the wallpaper a stormy blue color, every so often having the Uchiha symbol hanging in some sort of manor every so often.

"_Ani, what's that?"_

"_It's the marketing symbol father puts on our products… It's the Uchiha symbol, known world wide..."_

"_Ohhhh!" Sasuke's eyes widened and he laughed, "Do we get that symbol too?"_

"_When we're much older," His brother laughed at him and ruffled his hair._

The black, leather couches were seemingly untouched, and everything looked like it was just for show, hardly ever used. The rest of the furniture in the living room was similar to the seating areas, except a fire was crackling in the fireplace, the only light needed for the room.

"_Sasuke honey, why don't you turn on a light while you read?" A loving woman, beautiful and tall, her long hair pulled into a pony tail that cascaded neatly, but lovely down her back knelt next to him._

"_It's prettiful in here with the fire!" He laughed and hugged her when she smiled fondly at him for an answer._ Sasuke scowled, trying in vain to stop himself from seeing these memories that seemed to pop out of nowhere.

Footsteps echoed through the kitchen to the left, and he assumed it was just another butler or maid hurrying to see the commotion or the return of the youngest Uchiha.

He rolled his eyes, turning his back towards the stairs now, but came face to face with a figure leaning against the dark wooded doorway.

"Welcome home, Brother."

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**So I hope that was okay :) I'm really excited for this story to get going – I'm sure you guys will like it :)**

**The faster you review, the faster I update :D Less reviews means less updates :( Hope you enjoyed!**

**-zesty-**


	2. Similarities

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 2: Similarities**

Sasuke's eyes widened. Charcoal eyes to charcoal eyes. It had been a very long time since Itachi had decided to try and go visit Sasuke, and yet here he stood, looking rather delighted his brother was finally home.

"How was your trip here?" He questioned, knowing the drive was pretty long, and antagonizingly boring.

His younger brother did a sort of half nod to him. He refused to speak once again. It had been _so long_ since the eldest Uchiha had heard his younger brother's laugh, seen his smile, and so on and so fourth. He thought that with coming back, they could talk. It looked as though it would be harder than he thought.

Sasuke immediately, after that partial gesture, turned to Naruto. "Holy ramen!" the blonde gasped, slipping off his shoes, and walking around the living room, inspecting everything.

Itachi smiled slightly – the boy had always been odd, but now he felt he would get to know Naruto. He knew him from school, sure, but now he seemed to be the key to Sasuke, simply by the friendly way the raven haired teen looked at him.

Popping his head back up from leaning almost fully into their movie cabinet, he walked over to Itachi. "Hey!" His hyper attitude seemed never to leave, and he grinned, "Nice place!"

This probed a laugh from Itachi as Naruto moved back towards Sasuke, wrapping his arm around his shoulders ruggedly and pulling him downwards, ruffling up his hair, "Show me the house! I want to know where I can stay!"

Jiraiya chuckled slightly, watching the boys interact, as they always had. Itachi stood in slight shock that Sasuke wouldn't shove him away, but that's – in a way – what he had expected.

"Whatever you loser," Sasuke smirked, "Pick up my bags and maybe I'll let you see the upstairs..."

Immediately the blonde snatched away the bags from Jiraiya and darted up the stairs, Sasuke not too far behind. He didn't even take a second glance at Itachi, still waiting for some sort of a reunion.

Ignoring this, he turned towards the older man, "Thanks for bringing him back."

"It's not a problem at all…" He nodded, his voice light, even with a slight laugh in it, "Naruto had to be back for school tomorrow anyways – we figured we'd drop Sasuke off here…" But soon his tone turned a bit more serious, "Don't feel too bad, Itachi… You had to have some knowledge this would happen?"

"Oh of course…" He gave a slight nod.

He had always known that Sasuke was going to be in a 'stand-off' mood with him… but to watch him have a somewhat brotherly bond with his best friend – it was almost sad… Instead of thinking about it, he smirked, thinking about how it would go at school the following day.

?

"It seems like you talk to Itachi more than I do…" Sasuke commented as they moved down the hall towards his room.

"Well, I get along with basically everyone at school… I've talked to him a few times, after I met him going up north anyways."

The raven haired teen nodded, and pushed open the door. Naruto gaped as he saw the largest bedroom in the world. It was clad with the few things Sasuke had had in there when he was small. His bed still had dark blue bedding, the green dinosaur from so long ago still sitting on the bed.

His closet doors were pulled open, and his clothes from when he was seven were cleaned out, replaced with a few different styles of newer clothes. Itachi must have shopped for him, knowing that he would maybe want something different filling his closet when he returned. His desk had a computer on it now, instead of a little lamp to draw.

He had a cabinet, tugging it open, he saw it was filled with his painting supplies and such he had had a long time ago. His guitar was on its stand, slightly dusting in one corner of the room.

"_Now you have two hobbies to choose from… You know…" The man smiled, his eldest son sitting, the little boy he was talking to on his lap, "Uchihas are known for wonderful music, and wonderful art work…"_

"_Could I do both?" He questioned curiously, causing his brother to smile._

"_You could…"his brother smiled, "the most talented Uchihas do both!" Sasuke's eyes widened in wonder, as he decided that he would fulfill that as soon as he could._

A glare overtook his features. He had abandoned his guitar when he left, no longer feeling any motivation to be any good at playing. He figured when he was small, if he had a knack for one, he would have to work for the other. His knack for art was already amazing, but music? He hadn't even bothered trying.

"You've got a lot of redecorating to do!" Naruto hissed, smirking at the kid.

He glared backwards, but that didn't shut the blonde up, "I'll come help after school if you want me to…"

"Sure… Do what you want…" He shrugged and moved his bags to the bed, unzipping one already.

Itachi appeared in the door way, and tapped on the dark door quietly, causing both of them to turn, "Jiraiya is ready to leave…" He nodded and moved out of the way so Naruto could get by.

He stood quickly, and said his good-byes to Sasuke, wishing him luck with his room, before running downstairs. They could hear the door shut, his overexcited attitude making almost the whole house shake.

"Sasuke –"

"I'm tired; I want to go to sleep."

"Do you want any supper?"

"Already ate…" He dumped his bags on the floor, and sat on the bed, giving his brother a stare that told him to go away.

Itachi chuckled at the strong look and turned, shutting the door quietly behind him, "I'll wake you up in the morning Otouto! Be ready for a fun day at school!" He called – he wouldn't let Sasuke's attitude change his own…

Sasuke flinched as he heard his brother's voice ring through his room. Glaring at the wall in hopes of putting a hole through it, in the direction that his brother was going in. He did this in hopes of it drilling through the wall and hitting his brother in the back of his head. He decided to save the suitcases for when he did have aid, and shoved back the blankets, falling back on the bed. His back hit something, and he pulled out the green dinosaur. Snorting, he threw it on the ground, rolled over, and fell into a conflict filled slumber.

?

The knock on her door told her it was time to wake up. Groaning, she rolled back over, slamming a pillow over her head to block out any signs of potential noise. When the noise was repeated on her light wooden door, she dug her fingernails into the pink fabric of her pillow, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sakura?" The voice was calm, but masculine. That could only be one person…

She waited until she heard her door creak open before whipping the pillow across the room. It almost hit the teenager square in the face, but he caught it within inches of fulfilling its duty.

"Sasori! Don't wake me up this early! What did I tell you! Fifteen minutes, not a half hour!" She barked.

He laughed lightly, waving a hand in the air and walking into her room, in seemingly a better mood than he normally was. She made a face and moved back, fully alert for something to jump out and attack her – her brother was never this happy unless someone around him was in pain.

"Who did you kill?" She more accused than threatened, jumping up on her bed and pointing a finger, "Mom said if you threaten one more person –"

"Relax, Sakura…" He laughed again, before dropping the pillow back on her bed, "My, you have quite the nerves this morning…"

She groaned, being reminded where she had to be in about a half an hour. "Why does my life suck?"

"Because you have a brother who knows you'll do amazing in all of your classes today, and a wonderful, mystical day with all of your friends!"

"Do you want another mouthful of pillow?" She glared, tightening her hand into a fist and shaking it at him.

Her sheets were rumpled, and the shades were as closed as they could be. The only light leaking into the room was from the hall, though it never seemed dark and creepy in her room. The walls were a light blue color, her bedspread pink, and all of her furniture black. Most of the walls in their ugly color were covered by posters of various actors, actresses, models, pictures – drawn and painted by others and herself - and band posters. No part of her room went without a little touch of Sakura to it.

"You're room is so mis-matched…" He shook his head, walking over to her closet, "It's kind of funny that despite you acting like you hate everything, you've so much stuff to fill your walls…!"

"I don't act like I hate everything… I just chose not to show what I do enjoy…" She snorted, and hopped off the bed, curious about what he would pick out for her to wear.

In the end it was black skinny jeans and long, grey, suede boots that went about to her knees. For a top, he managed to find a magenta T-shirt, with a black long sleeved shirt to go under it.

She blinked, wondering how he had a small sense of what she liked to wear. Nothing that would stand out – that was for sure…

With a sweet smile she took the clothes and shooed him out after a quick thank you. He grinned at her, and shut the door, calling to their mother that her dear daughter was alive and readying herself for the day.

She took the wooden brush on her dresser and rapidly pulled at her pink locks. They straightened… for the most part… Glancing at herself in the mirror she sighed. It wasn't as though she looked ugly – she could just do so much more to make herself look pretty.

Oh well – she wasn't going to change herself and be uncomfortable just for the sake of what other people thought. Screw them. Smiling at herself with her bright, emerald eyes, she picked up her school bag, already packed to go, and walked into the hall.

It was bright and spacious, the soft green walls reminding her of a breezy home by the ocean or something of the sort. She glanced across the hall at the other bedroom on the floor, Sasori inside, grabbing his own bag. He was clad in dark jeans, that weren't baggy, but didn't fit him perfectly, and a red long sleeved shirt, with an even darker red vest over it. His messenger bag was black with a strange elephant with octopus legs on it.

Blinking, she wondered how her brother made it through the day with any friends left at all. He had simply laughed when she questioned him once, and told her she wouldn't understand until she actually got to know one of his friends.

Arriving in the beautiful yellow and blue kitchen, they both sat at the counter, with stacks of pancakes placed in front of both of them.

"Good morning my sunshines!" Her cheery tone was enough to make both of her children cringe, as they reached for the box of cereal against the wall not too far away from where they were sitting.

Sasori got his strange choice of words for his mother, but even he wasn't that strong about it… Luckily neither of them got her cooking skills. Though everything looked delicious it always tasted strange, and they could barely make themselves eat at dinner when they had to sit at as a family and there was no escape.

The insult her children threw at her by grabbing cereal didn't seem to phase her as she hummed, dumping the pancakes into the garbage, when they were still pathetically steaming hot.

"You're going to have such a fun day at school!" She gushed at Sakura, who only rolled her eyes.

"I think school has changed a lot, Mom…"

"Oh don't be silly!" Her mother scoffed, humming and almost dancing away, singing something back to them about cleaning, or saving a kitten from a tree sometime later that day.

"Well, are you ready?" Sasori smiled, finishing his cereal at about the same time as her.

"As I'll ever be…" She shrugged as he pulled his keys from his pocket and led the way through the garage.

"I do wonder how, with that kind of attitude, you put up with this school day after day. There must be a secret I just don't know about you…" He grinned then and kept walking, despite her grumbles of protest.

Even their garage was spacious, though musty and a bit messier than the rest of the house. As the door opened, squeaking and being as obnoxious as ever, they got into Sasori's sleak, black classic mustang fastback… 1967. _What an old an ugly car… _She thought to herself.

Grinning, he explained that it might have been old, but wicked expensive and then went on to claim they would let Sakura drive into school in absolute _style! _

The girl snorted at this, but didn't complain about a ride to school. "Hey…"

"Yes my dearest sister?"

She rolled her eyes, "Why are we getting to school so early today?"

"Itachi's younger brother is coming to school… I wanna get a good look at the kid before I can't find him in the sea of creatures that we have in that building."

Sakura smiled at the choice of her older brother's words, "A younger brother? How come I've never heard of this?"

"He went away for some reason a long time ago – Itachi doesn't like talking about it. Maybe we'll learn the story sometime today!" he laughed, "So if you see a 'Sasuke Uchiha,' give him a wink – maybe you two can be friends… According to Itachi you both are quite pessimistic and angry."

"Ha. Ha." She watched as he pulled into the parking lot, and he immediately jumped out, "You're leaving already?"

"I have my own reputation to withhold thank you very much!" He grinned slightly, pulling a duffle bag out of the back seat, "Besides, we have a karate tournament against Sunagakure tomorrow – I need to train up…"

"Whatever, I'm sure with you're team you can spare some time to talk with your socially deprived sister."

"That's what you have friends for…" he walked off with his bag, and moved swiftly around traffic.

Their team was basically unbeatable, so he must have been making excuses. It basically consisted of all of her brother's friends – the people who were really into fighting. They were nicknamed the Akatsuki – because they were never seen anywhere without each other – only making it easier to read each other's movements in the tournament. There were a select few people on the team not part of this social group, but were hardly important to the school.

Her thoughts quickly left her brother and landed on this new Uchiha… She wondered why she had never seen him before, and why he was just moving to this school. Shaking her head, she moved forward in the parking lot, watching as rain drops began to hit everything, little by little.

Pushing the doors open of the school, she smelt already the familiar scent of perfume and dirty gym socks brush past her face. Though it wasn't a very nice scent, it was familiar and that's what made her smile. The halls were busy, but she could manage, sliding by the walls, occasionally bumping into two people making out.

It was your normal high school setting.

"Sakura!" She turned and spotted a high, blond pony tail bobbing in the crowd. Laughing, she watched as Ino bounded towards her, excited to be starting yet another week.

"Hey Ino! How was the cabin?"

"Amazing! I met this guy – he was really super cute, and his name was Rinji, and he was positively the cutest guy ever! He took interest in _me!_" She squealed and began jumping up and down, "he was a senior – what a babe!" Half melting in her friend's arms, she only straightened up when her pink haired friend gave her a look. "What?"

"What about Shikamaru?"

"Oh well he'll never make a move!" she sighed, but soon a loud chatter interrupted their conversation. Everyone began whispering as Naruto entered the school. Along with him was the most gorgeous person both Ino and Sakura had ever laid eyes on.

Just who was the fascinating creature who had just stepped into the building, whether people knew it or not, automatically gaining everyone's attention that wouldn't be kept off of him as easy as he expected…

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**A/N: Well I hope that one was interesting too. Lol it gives a little insight on both of them :D Please review, lol I'm hoping to get at least a few more before I update again!**

**-zesty-**


	3. Introduction to the Girl

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 3: Introduction to the Girl**

"A big hype about a big waste…" Sakura shook her head.

"He's such a hottie though! All the girls will be _all over him!_ I can't blame them!" She swooned, clapping her hands together and batting her eyes.

"Get a hold of yourself, Ino. He's probably emotionally constipated…" She was already irritated about this boy – he seemed like within a day of getting showered with requests for dates and random sex, not to mention everyone throwing themselves at him, he would be an arrogant jerk. "Just another person to taint with this school."

"Now, I don't know why in the world you're so bitter about this school all the time… It's not that bad…"

She had a point…

Before she could answer, Choji ran by them, persuing Shikamaru who had stolen a bag of chips from him. The brunette snatched the blonde by the arm, "Ino! Help me get this bag back! We're going to be late if he doesn't stop!"

"Choji let go of me, you idiot!" She called, glancing at Sakura with a pleading look.

The girl only smiled sweetly and waved, letting out a small giggle before turning into her classroom. She was greeted by no one as she dropped herself into her chair. Third row back, closest to the window.

Surprisingly enough, Naruto marched in _after_ she had gotten there, even though he had announced to everyone he was leaving about five minutes before her.

"Sakura!" He beamed, running over to her, allowing everyone to see Sasuke from the door.

Immediately the girls of the class shoved their friends and the boys who looked only vaguely interested (that was pushing it) from their seats to clear a spot.

The kid ignored them all and walked over to where Naruto stood, "Oh… Sasuke, this is Sakura Haruno!"

"Hi…" She broke into a smile, trying to be friendly.

He grunted in response, causing her to frown. "He seems friendly, Naruto…" She muttered. He sat next to her, and gestured for Sasuke to sit in front of him.

Naruto shrugged, because he never really saw anything wrong with the way Sasuke acted. But he had always been oblivious, so she forgave him. "So, Sasuke… You liking the school already?" She tried again with an attempt, but he turned towards her slightly, his eyes bored.

"It would be better if girls like you wouldn't try and annoy me…" With that he turned back around, staring straight ahead, seemingly bored.

Flabbergasted, she pointed at Sasuke, an angry expression swiped over her face as she looked at Naruto. He gave her a sympathetic look and pulled her close to whisper to her.

"He's kind of like that…"

"Kind of?" She spoke loudly, causing a couple people to look at her.

He laughed, trying to change the subject. She took the bait, knowing what he was trying to do – prevent a fight from breaking out. He knew her temper better than she suspected he did. Oh well…

At that moment, Kakashi walked in, staring at all the people fighting over desks. "I don't really want to ask, but I suppose I'm entitled to… What are you all doing?"

"Kakashi sensei! Karin kicked me out of my seat, and told me I couldn't sit there!" One girl whined.

"Bullshit! She did that to me!" And thus another argument broke out between the two.

He sighed, and glanced around, mumbling to himself, "Why do I even ask?" He stopped when his eyes landed on Sasuke, "It seems I have a new student… Why don't you stand and introduce yourself?"

He stood reluctantly, and shoved his hands in his pockets, facing the class. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha… I'm sixteen… That's about it…"

"He has a darling voice!"

"The way he acts is soo sexy!"

Girls began to whisper as he took his seat again, Kakashi raising an eyebrow, "I suppose you're Itachi's younger brother?"

The raven-haired kid nodded, "Well… That makes sense then…" He nodded and sat, "No more fighting, otherwise… Take this time to make our new student feel welcome… Or whatever we're supposed to say our homeroom is used for…"

At his instructions all the girls stood and began crowding around him, Karin shoving Sakura off her chair, "Move it cow!" She hissed, and pulled Sasuke over, trying to gain his attention.

Sakura pushed herself off the ground, her mood being thrown off a cliff it was going so low. She was irritated – that was for sure. Naruto was always pushed back by the growing wall of indestructible girls.

"Well at least I know he won't have a problem getting friends?" Naruto grinned – Sakura couldn't seem to return the gesture…

?

Sasuke managed to pull himself out of the mob that was forming behind him. That was cruel what Kakashi had done. With a heavy sigh, he hurried down the hallway. His raven hair fell over his charcoal eyes, as he glanced quickly behind him. Though it wasn't as though he were afraid of these girls – a lot of them were actually kind of pretty, he just didn't like the attention.

He was never used to people fawning over him, and he wasn't exactly sure he really liked it even. He moved with elite agility, quickly advancing towards the math room. Algebra two was a painful class to sit through and he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to. If it was another class like _that_ one – definitely not!

Slipping through the door, he quietly settled into a seat in the back of the room. His eyes averted to the students filling into the room like an engine blowing steam – they all magically seemed to appear.

The girl he noticed most was the pink haired girl Naruto had so quickly fell into step with in their previous class. He didn't know why he had suddenly been so grouchy with her, it had just come out on instinct. Oh well – she would be just another one of those annoying girls like he recently had to deal with, even if she wasn't quite there yet.

She sat close to the window, dropping her things onto her desk, and resting her chin in her palm. Her emerald eyes (what he could see of them anyways) seemed troubled and distant. Either this class pained her just as much as him, or she was thinking rather in depth about something.

He shook his head, trying to remove her from his thoughts, scanning the board to see what the problems were. They looked like they wouldn't take too long to figure out, so he started on them right away in hopes of getting the girl out of his head.

Suddenly a note fell onto his desk, on top of the problem he was just about to solve. Irritated, he flicked it away, but the same one toppled in front of him once more. Glaring, and letting out an exasperated sigh, he dropped his pencil and started unfolding the note.

_Call me! _ He sat back up straight, coolly attempting to find who had thrown the note at him. Though no girl made a gesture, and there was no name, nor number. Rolling his eyes in disgust, he crumpled the piece of paper and chucked it.

Considering how dazed everyone seemed in the whole class (no one liked math apparently) it wasn't a surprise when not a soul but one saw Sasuke throw the crinkled ball. It hit the girl in the head, and she whipped around, ready to punch whoever just hit her precious hair.

She saw the raven haired teen looking at her, and tilted her head, a confused expression sweeping across her face in a disturbing sort of way. Picking up the paper, Sasuke's eyes widened with pure horror as she straightened it out.

The words she read caused a beaming face to explode, her eyes glittering as though her life's dreams had just been granted. He sunk into his seat, staring down at his paper, expressing his anger with scribbles in the margins.

Soon another note fell on his desk, and reluctantly he unfolded it, acting cautious – as though something would jump out and attack him. Inside, with smiley faces and I's dotted with hearts, it said:

_Oh Sasuke-kun! Of course I WILL call you! Here's my number sweetie, we definitely will get together! _617-989-6236

Before he had time to even have thoughts about the obnoxious redhead, the teacher called out. "Okay… say the answer out loud if you feel yours is right…" He didn't look up from the text book in his lap. What most people knew was that there was actually a Playboy magazine stuck in the pages, keeping him occupied while the math class dragged on.

Sakura opened her mouth to answer, figuring no one else would say anything out loud. As she took in a breath to speak, another voice filled the room.

"Eighty-two…" The voice was masculine and dark, uncaring, but had an undertone of interest.

Everyone lifted their heads off their desks, or raised their chins from their palms. Glancing around the room, they attempted to find the source of the revelation. All eyes landed on Sasuke as the teacher looked up, also in shock. His feet, previously propped up on the desk in front of him, leaning back in his chair, sat straight now, his boots making a tromping noise as he let them fall to the ground.

Blinking, and setting the text book on the desk, he stood, the magazine now in clear view to the front row.

Over from the other side of the room, Sakura fumed. She couldn't believe what had happened. Always at the top of the class, she could say that it was something she had perfected – had been something she had for the longest time…

And now, on his first day, the stupid idiot who she already loathed wormed his way into her spot. With a glare, she crossed her arms in a huff, and waited for Mesuki to speak.

He was an awful math teacher – still interested more in teenage life (girls, sex, drinking, etc) than actually teaching a class that would learn and aspire from him. That explained why everyone hated math – it was so damn boring!

People watched Sakura in her fume, as Mesuki began speaking. "Okay… That's right… Um, how about number two?"

This time, Sakura got as far as the beginning syllable, before Sasuke spoke. "Three-hundred, nine."

She growled, sitting up straighter as every person in the class watched with amusement – more than they had had in that class in quite a while. A slight smirk flickered on the boy's lips, making the girl all the angrier. Her face became red, and a few people sitting close enough to her snickered.

"Next?" Mesuki seemed to be challenging both of them.

"Ten exactly!" Both said at once. Sakura seemed more eager, though Sasuke still didn't seem like he gave a shit.

He shot a glare at her, wondering why she would even want to get so worked up about it. But fine, he would play her game. Leaning forward and clasping his hands together, he stared at the board, figuring out the problem again in his head.

Sakura's eyes darted from Mesuki, to her paper, and back again, like a dog watching a bacon strip being tossed back and forth.

Now instead of simple amusement, the two triggered interest in their peers, as each waited to see who would win.

This was simplest one, Sakura _knew_ she would get it before that jerk!

Their teacher smirked, as he looked up at the board, "Number four?"

"Two!"

"Five!" came both replies simultaneously.

Whispers erupted, people praising Sasuke and his skill, surpassing Sakura, but people also admiring the pink haired girl for the fight she was putting up against the arrogant ass. Mainly, girls were with Sasuke, guys were with Sakura.

As they both waited anxiously for who was right, and who was wrong – the bell sounded in the classroom. For a few moments, for the first time in history, no one moved. This caused Mesuki to laugh "Time to go! See you tomorrow!"

The students grabbed their things and started to get up, the two contestants reluctantly exiting as well.

?

The next class went slow and boring, with no one but fangirls in his class, he was completely ready to leave biology as soon as possible. With every intention of having a good lunch, he went into the room, realizing it was busier than he expected it to be.

Watching everyone maneuver with their own cliques was weird. There were the sluts that followed him around, gushing about one thing or another at their own table, each staring at him, whispering, and repeating the process. He wondered vaguely if they did this to anyone else, or if he was just special.

He watched as a group of semi normal teenagers talked and laughed, eating merrily and taking advantage of their time all together, and he dually noted that was the table Sakura was sitting at. Then there were a few other random tables of people no one cared about, and then there was his brother's table.

They all were rather odd looking people to hang out with, and as his eyes lingered on them, each tensed – probably sensing someone scowling at them. Identical eyes met his, and a cocky smirk was planted on his brothers lips. As Sasuke turned away, as though he had someone he was simply looking for, the grin was nurtured – he could see through his younger brother right away.

A pretty girl with long blonde hair and dazzling sapphire eyes smiled and nearly skipped over to the boy, "Sasuke! Hi!" Her hand was raised and she was about to wave her delicate hand, when his downcast eyes shifted and looked at her.

His mouth was etched into a permanent glower, his eyes deadly enough to kill simply with a one-second glance. The aura that leaked off of him rolled in waves towards her, sending eerie vibes in her direction. A vision of her death by a pencil, fork, and various other things, not to mention a particular person's bare hands, flashed in front of her eyes. With sweat forming on her brow, she side stepped, acting as though she had meant to wave at someone else, and booking it away.

Two people got up from the previously viewed table, as a few groups of students watched them as they approached the young Uchiha.

"Sasuke, huh? Wow… Itachi was right – you look just like him…" The only different was that Sasuke had a smoother face, gentler features.

Itachi watched as the two approached his younger brother. "Why did we decide to send Deidara and Hidan?"

"We didn't want to scare him away with Kakuzu, now did we?" Kisame grinned slightly at the glare he received – the man's eyes being the only part of him that they could see. It didn't bother him though, he glowered at his friends all the time.

"Shut up! I'm listening!" Zetsu glared, turning back towards the three standing in the middle of the lunchroom.

"Please, we look nothing alike…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Take a seat with us, bitch!" Hidan grinned and laughed, earning a stare from an oncoming short kid with freckles and glasses. "What the fuck are you staring at you little shit!" Jumping in fright, the freshman scampered away. Starting up his laugh again, he put his hand on Sasuke's back and led him over.

"Hello Sasuke…" Itachi allowed a fake smile to grace his features.

Sasuke felt other lunch tables trying to hear their conversation, though it wasn't as though they could. Whenever glared at they would turn and fiddle with something, and quickly whipped back, hungry for more gossip on the Uchihas. Kakuzu glared at them again, and they went back to eating, suddenly no longer interested on the topic.

Sasuke grunted, "What am I doing here?"

"Fiesty, huh?" Deidara chuckled, "We like that…"

"Fuck that Deidara! Bitch, don't you have a _girl_friend, not the damn other way around!" The blonde glared, and slapped him across the cheek, having easy access, then Kakuzu as a shield, "You know… That only proved my point further."

"You know, I'd like to see which of them won in a fight!" Zetsu laughed, causing an idea to spark in Kisame's mind.

"I would, bitch!" Hidan pumped his fist in the air, smirking.

"I meant Sasuke and Itachi, smart one…" Zetsu glared.

"That brings to a good idea…" the blue haired teen smirked, "Itachi… I know of your charm… But what of your brothers?"

"What do you mean?" He questioned, turning his head, nonchalantly picking up an apple and tossing it in the air for a moment before taking a bite.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. _Show off… _He thought in his head.

"I have a challenge for the two Uchihas'… A way to one up each other… finally prove who's best…" A grin overtook his blue lips.

Sasuke's ears prickled with those words, and he straightened, an aura of confidence rolling off of him. Finally – he would prove to that bastard his worth!

?

**A/N: I know that got a bit long… Sorry :( but at least it's getting somewhere now? :) I hope you enjoyed! And I hope even more that you review!**

**-zesty-**


	4. Initiating a Challenge

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 4: Initiating a Challenge**

"_I have a challenge for the two Uchihas'… A way to one up each other… finally prove who's best…"_

"This is a definite surprise…" Itachi commented, but his voice sounded approving. "How about it, Obouto?" He laughed at the reaction the nickname provoked from his brother.

Sasuke stuck his nose up, truly overconfident in front of all of the most important seniors in the school, "It depends…"

"You don't think your worthy enough is what I just heard…" Itachi offered, knowing how to get under his skin.

The hair prickled over Sasuke's arms, as he shot a disgusted look to the older boy… He took death glare to a whole new level.

"The two of you… You've got the same types of attitudes and looks… It's a pretty fair fight…"

Sasuke scoffed, "Fair? I've been here one day…"

"Excuses, excuses…" Zetsu played the boys anger, ravishing in his success.

"Sasuke has the element of surprise, to take what these people don't like about Itachi, and change it. He has the disadvantage of being already in Itachi's shadow…" Kisame explained, chuckling as Sasuke tapped his fingers on the polished table impatiently – he despised having this pointed out.

Itachi's advantages didn't need to be spoken out loud – he wasn't the one complaining, and that only made his younger brother all the more outraged. How dare they say he wasn't up for this!

But he had to think about how much of a better chance he had than senior. Itachi had his reputation at his disposal – basically anyone would kill for a chance to kiss his ass. On the other hand – that could work against him. They knew that Itachi was mean, keeping to himself and the few people he enjoyed 'gracing' his presence with. It was pretty evenly matched…

"What's this about, Kisame? Get on with it…" Itachi's anxiousness caused him to speak eagerly.

"Each of you will try and win the hearts of a girl. Doll her up, get to know her, and the hardest part… _Make her prom queen, and take her as your date…_" Sasuke almost spluttered, and Itachi's eyes flashed with an unsettling expression.

So what they had both been challenged was to fight over one girl – out of all the ones throwing themselves at the brothers in the school… What if she was a geek? How hard would it be to change her appearance so she would be beautiful, hot, gorgeous, and sexy all at the same time? The world seemed to spin around Sasuke.

"Who's this girl?" Zetsu pressed, the Uchihas' wanting the answer more than anyone.

He grinned, thinking about his rivalry with Sasori on their taijutsu team. For as long as he could remember, he had always been Itachi's tag-team partner… Sasori was replacing him, and it was time for a bit of harmless payback… Indirectly of course – that's how the whole group of 'Akatsuki' worked…

"Sakura Haruno…"

?

A sudden tingle rippled through her ears. She tilted her head, turning away from the conversation behind held. Shaking her head slightly and putting a hand to one ear, she continued listening to what Ino had to say about her weekend.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked, his expression confused, "What are you doing?" He was willing to get the subject off of this Rinji character however he could.

She let out a laugh, "I'm fine, my ears just started to burn… It's really weird…" She trailed, as everyone watched her.

Finally Ino giggled, "If your ears burn, that means someone's talking about you!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. Sakura was just about to voice her opinion on how silly that was… The black haired teen beat her to it, "Why would someone talk about Sakura? That's really a stupid assumption, Ino…"

The emerald eyed girl stood so fast her chair almost knocked over as she fisted her hand and shook it at him, "You want me to punch you in the ear, Shikamaru! Then yours will burn and everyone will be talking about how you got beat till you were deaf!"

"What a drag…" He mumbled, taking a bite of his food, not really caring about the dry threat she just dished out to him.

"So… What are your thoughts on Sasuke?" Ino asked the girls sitting at the table.

"What a drag…" Shikamaru repeated, subconsciously repeating the phrase.

"I have to agree with him for once…" Kiba nodded, rolling his eyes, "He thinks he's so great just because he has a band of whores trailing behind him."

Almost everyone at the table agreed. "Sakura? Hinata? You must agree with me that he's a babe!" She almost melted, into her seat, unnoticing of the glare Shikamaru was sending her way.

Hinata's face turned a rosy pink, as her lavender eyes dropped down to her plate, studying only her half eaten lunch. Her appetite left her as everyone stared at her. Sakura snorted, taking the focus off of her.

"Please… Anyone with that big of an ego isn't even worth his looks!"

"But I just got you to admit that he's cute!" She stuck out her tongue.

"Shut up, Ino-pig!" The girl growled playfully, before taking a bite of her apple.

Glimpsing around the lunch room, she saw the same people she did day after day. She thought that perhaps the school should be spiced up a bit… A new club, a pep-rally… even a soda dispenser by the lockers would make things a little more interesting. She sighed, immediately depressing her with how glum and plain her life was.

Her ears automatically tuned in to a familiar voice yelling an already familiar name. "Sasuke!" Turning, she watched as Naruto walked into the lunch room, his sapphire eyes scanning the place for three things. One, some food, two, a place to sit, and three, Sasuke. He watched with recognition as Sasuke conversed with the seniors, and she wondered vaguely if Naruto would be jealous.

Nope… He bounded over to them, quick as a fox, and as happy as a clam. "Hey guys!" He tugged on a chair and whipped it around, almost knocking Kiba straight in the face, plopping himself in it, the back turned towards the table. There must have been something Naruto knew about the new kid that others had yet to learn, explaining why he so easily accepted Sasuke sitting with the seniors.

As her friends delved into conversation once more, mindless chatter being extracted from their voices, she studied the boy, noting that he didn't look like he was having a great time. Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts of him. Who cared about Sasuke anyways?

?

Lunch went worse than he had expected – he had barely gotten to eat. Naruto offered him some food, which he surprisingly, though gratefully, took and ate before they made their way to the next class.

Though he had this class with Naruto, suddenly his attitude towards Sakura had changed. That was just a dumb challenge. Of course he wanted to prove his brother wrong, but he wasn't going to be played for the loser…

Perhaps Itachi's plan was to have Sasuke try to impress a girl who didn't seem to love anyone, guy or girl… Then 'haha the joke's on him…' Well it wouldn't be. He wondered if his big brother would even take it seriously, and that's what stopped him, causing him to be rigid without movement… He wasn't going to look like a fool and take the first step towards the pink haired girl.

That he was sure of…

?

"Look at this class! Such a youthful and inspiring group of adults! You all truly make tears form in my eyes!" The gym teacher was probably the most dedicated to his job out of all the teachers Sasuke had seen in his _life_.

The man was an absolute lunatic with his bowl shaped hair cut and fascination with green spandex. A lot of people were highly creeped out – though some girls thought it was nice not to leave much to the imagination. Those were also the girls running around with a skirt covering less than half of their ass.

Naruto had warned him of Guy Sensei in the locker room.

"_Now remember, Sasuke… This gym teacher aspires to be the best, and to teach all of us how to follow in his footsteps."_

_Sasuke glanced at him, raising an eyebrow showing he didn't quite believe what his best friend spluttered._

"_He already has one follower!" Another guy in their locker row named Kiba pointed down towards the door leading to the gym._

_A teenager – believed to be a junior wore green spandex, and orange leg warmers. He wore a forest green vest over his upper half, and had the most hilarious hair ever. It was shiny and black, looking more like someone put a glass bowl on his head than anything else. It was only confirmed real from the matching eyebrows. They were so _bushy!

_The raven haired teen blinked, "Heh. He can't be that much weirder than you, Naruto!"_

_Both Kiba and Naruto exchanged worried glances, almost challenging Sasuke's naïve confidence. Pulling his shirt over his head, Naruto led the way out the doors, watching as the teen quickly came to know as Lee burst out into sit ups and push ups, switching off every twenty counts._

"_He has too much energy…" Kiba shook his head and pressed forward._

Sasuke now new that neither of his peers were kidding…

"Today and today only!" Guy began to announce, "And maybe a little of tomorrow, we're going to learn the wondrous Taijutsu!" A lot of people actually looked excited. Chatter began to rise like smoke, before the man's voice boomed once more, "And to help us with our training - and of course, to help with theirs to ensure our win against Sunagakure we have the Akatsuki!"

People began whispering, this time though it was all hushed, talking directly about the seniors in front of them.

"Holy ramen, even he calls them that now?" Naruto snickered as he watched Guy gush over how dedicated seven people on the team who could make it this hour to practice were to fitness and youthful well-being.

"Yikes…" Kiba flinched, watching a cascade of tears burst from their teacher's eyes. Sasuke glanced at the brunette, but was soon interrupted by a few girls next to him.

"Which is cuter? Itachi-kun, or Sasuke-kun?"

"Definitely Itachi!" A couple of girls voiced their opinion, rock hard in their beliefs. Sasuke rolled his eyes, though a pang of jealousy shot through him.

"No way! It's Sasuke-kun definitely! His eyes seem so sensitive and sexy and beautiful and –"

Sensitive? Either they needed a reality check, or Sasuke needed to practice a new glare. Though this time he smirked, hearing his name over his brothers. That was always an ego-booster, as much as he hated to admit it.

"How about both!" One girl swooned, and each squealed, completely unaware of their own special eaves dropper next to them. They must have been too distracted in their argument to realize that Sasuke was standing right next to him.

Though Sasuke would have liked to keep listening to anything that wasn't their sensei blabbering about how great the team was, he was distracted by a little exchange in the front of the class.

Vibrant pink hair is what caught his attention the most, and when he saw what happened he began to fume, never shooting more of a glower at someone in his life. There was his brother in the front, talking to the pink haired girl. Though she didn't seem phased by his inhumanly good looks, she seemed to at least be listening to him.

?

"Hello Sakura-chan."

She glanced sideways at him, wondering slightly why he was talking to her. Ino was gripping her arm hard, trying not to faint. When she thought the pink haired girl wouldn't reply to the senior, she kicked her in the leg.

"Ahhh! Hey!" She smiled politely, stomping her foot down hard on Ino's so she couldn't kick her again.

"Do you know any taijutsu?" He questioned, his voice low and mysterious… Positively stunning, but seeming as though he had an ulterior motive to speaking to her. Nahhh!

"Um… I know a little, sure… But not nearly as much as you…" Wait, did it just sound like she was trying to flirt? She mentally kicked herself – noting she shouldn't say something directed towards him and him alone ever again.

He smiled, chuckling slightly, "Well, then perhaps you would allow me the honor of teaching you some more, today?"

She could be rude and say no – like she would do to anyone else… But then again… if there was really no other motives behind it, he was just trying to be nice…

That in itself was a weird thing.

"Okay…" She then turned her attention once again towards Guy as Itachi straightened back up.

His eyes locked with his brothers – a challenging, and fiery undertone to the charcoal color, as though hot coals were glowing underneath – ready to burst into flame at any moment.

"Hey, is he okay?" the chocolate haired teen glanced at the raven haired being, anger plastered all over his body so thick he wasn't even moving a muscle. When he felt intimidated enough, his eyes broke away from the Uchiha and fixated on the blonde.

"Ummm… Naruto watched Sasuke begin to quiver in anger, "Sasuke, are you gonna be okay?"

With black eyes still raging, he registered what his best friend had just said.

"_There are two rules in this bet… One for each of you…"_

_Both Uchihas glanced at the guy, his eyes and cheeks thin, though his smile was wide. "For… fundamental reasons… Itachi you cannot, under any circumstances tell Sasori about this bet. No one sitting here should… Think of the problems it would cause... And Sasuke…no telling Naruto."_

_That seemed reasonable… Sasuke never told Naruto any vital information anyways, and as for Sasori – who knows who he was, and why Itachi couldn't tell him… But he knew his brother in that way – he could keep a secret._

"Fine…" He grumbled. He had been absolutely insane to think Itachi wouldn't take this challenge seriously, and he figured that was what was making him furious!

He had made the first move.

?

**A/N: Waaay longer than I thought it would be haha but oh well I hope you enjoyed it anyways :) Please review!**

**-zesty-**


	5. Bad First Impression

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 5: Bad First Impression**

Dark eyes scanned the scene in front of him with utter disgust. He watched his evil brother fight with the girl _he_ was suppose to be charming into dating him – and worse than that, he was actually helping her! He never helped anyone but himself!

"Dodge!" Someone yelled, as he whipped back, his back arched, bent backwards almost to a ninety degree angle, he was hardly aware that he could do. A punch that had just been aimed for his face had come from someone who was now stumbling forward.

The raven haired teenager allowed the other person to trip, and grabbed their waist, hoisting their body above his, and grabbing a long leg, whipping it around and dropping his unfortunate opponent to the floor.

The girl he had previously been looking at gasped, glancing over at her fallen classmate. A punch had been aimed at her, but quickly she stopped it, wrapping her hand around the fist that couldn't be stopped.

Throwing the power back, the senior stumbled, actually surprised she could use that much force. The pink haired girl dropped down to the floor by her peer.

"Ino!"

Ino lay on her back, flinching every so often as she tried to get up. Her turquoise eyes were squinted, as she glanced from her best friend, to the guy she just fought against.

"Are you okay?" She demanded, her own emerald eyes sparkling with concern. When she didn't receive a reply, her body shot up, and she was in his face in a moment, "Sasuke who the hell do you think you _are!_"

"We were _supposed_ to fight!" He pointed out.

"Fine…" She growled, "Let's fight!" Before he had any time to ponder what she said, a fist connected with his face.

Sasuke was punched square in the cheek, a bruise already forming where impact was made. He stumbled back and fell on his butt, the guys of the class bursting out in laughs.

"Sakura!" Ino gasped, though she appreciated her best friend sticking up for her.

Itachi couldn't help but let out a laugh. His brother had been asking for it.

True, they were told they must fight each other by Guy, but most people who weren't total pricks let the girls win, and even generous guys let them get a few small hits in. Sasuke hadn't caught onto the memo.

Sakura went in for a second punch, before Naruto grabbed her hand. Her anger was sizzling, and she struggled against the blonde. Everyone had stopped their practices, to watch the struggle between the girl and the boy, and Sasuke was wide eyed and vulnerable.

A few girls screamed and crowded him, the girl from his math class giving him kisses all over his bruising face. He pushed her back and stood, turning on his heel and walking away.

This made Sakura twice as enraged, as she pulled to get to the Uchiha. When he left the room she shoved the blonde away, and stormed out of the class. The sapphire eyed boy knelt by Ino and asked if she was okay, and she nodded, getting up with little help.

"If you ask me… Sakura kind of overreacted… Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy she stuck up for me… But…" She bit her lip, "This could go bad…"

Naruto glanced at the door, still shaking at the impact she shoved with, and shuttered, glancing back at Itachi.

The dark haired senior sighed, and moved to leave as well. "I'll go talk to him…" He offered, though it was Naruto who had suggested, with the look about his face, that he should go.

Sasori made his way to Ino, knowing her better than any of the people Sakura talked to, "Why did she get so angry?"

"She already dislikes the kid…" She adjusted her hair, in an attempt to impress her best friend's brother – she couldn't help her friends were related to attractive people, "Probably couldn't' believe he did that…"

"I can't really either… The kid should have some common sense."

"At least he never punched me?" She offered.

Sasori glanced at her, moving away without an answer. Naruto helped her fully stand, and watched the guy walk away. The blonde decided he would go talk to Sakura, knowing fully well that Sasori wouldn't. Unfortunately, he thought it would have to wait – the bell had just rung.

?

Two boring class periods later, Sasuke was about to end the day with art. Nothing really was different, except that one side of his face hurt like a bitch, and that girls were cooing over him much more than they should have.

He hadn't seen Naruto ever since he left the gym, and he wondered vaguely if the blonde would try and talk to him at all. His footsteps echoed through the halls as he attempted to find the room.

His eyes scanned the corridor, almost hoping to see the blonde or pink haired girl. Perhaps he could apologize. Shuttering, he thought about how that would go in his head. He _hated_ apologizing to people, and yet… He thought about the bet.

Maybe he had to…

He finally found where he was going, and walked into the art room. Immediately girls began to sigh, but he ignored them all, going to the only open table. The teacher decided in order to have enough room for everyone to express their art, it was only two to a table. As he dropped into his seat, a brown portfolio fell from his 'partner's' face.

A scowl immediately etched itself onto her face, and Sasuke sighed, falling back into his chair, not believing his bad luck.

The pink haired girl went back to her sketch book, dropping her pages on the table, placing the portfolio over it. Sasuke watched her for a moment, before pulling out his own book. He ran his hand over it… This had been the only possession he carried with him at all times for his whole life.

After he left his own home, and went up north to live, he found it in his bag, and thanked his lucky stars – he thought he had forgotten it, but he supposed his subconscious was looking out for him.

The leather surface was worn down, and the writing of his name, in messy, four year old writing, was fading. He opened it, and felt the first few crisp pages of the sketch book, looking at the message his mother had wrote on the cover.

_Sasuke,_

_So you can follow your own path with what you want to do. I'll always be behind you_

_Love,_

_Mom_

He squeezed his eyes shut, and forgot about reminiscing, flipping to a new page, and beginning to sketch whatever first came to his mind. Though his concentration was soiled every time rough eraser tremors shook the table, until he swore it would collapse.

"Loosen your grip on the pencil, and pull the paper closer to you at an angle."

Her eyes flashes, and settled on the Uchiha sitting in front of her, "What?" The venom dripped from her words, and he were sure were it real – it would truly sizzle the whole table into oblivion.

He stood from the plastic chair, and made his way to the other side of the table, watching her shoulder's tense as she felt him moving towards her. He planted his feet, ready to be hit, and leaned over her shoulder, taking her right hand in his.

"Like this…"

He felt her flinch away, but she didn't remove her hand from his. The sketch wasn't all that bad – just needed a few touch ups. He tugged at fingers gingerly, and easily got her grip to the exact way he wanted it.

With his knee, he pushed her chair closer to the table, and as her hair lifted slightly, and feathered back down her to her back, a glorious scent of succulent cherries filled his nose, but he ignored it, as he tilted the sketch book upward on the edge of the table.

"Forget about mistakes, and simply draw on top of them – a mistake will blend in, but erased graphite won't…"

He turned his head to look at her, and at the same time she glanced at him. Their faces were only inches apart. Charcoal to emerald, and for once no tension in between.

"Don't get so close!" She called out, shoving him back.

"Right…" He mumbled, returning to his seat. "Sorry – by the way…"

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't look up, "What?"

"For gym…" She realized that's all he was going to say, and though she appreciated it, she still hated him.

"Heh…" Sakura went back to drawing.

"That's my line…"

"What line?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes, "That's hardly even a word!"

He snorted, and went back to his drawing.

Things weren't going as bad as he thought… Then again… What did he know? He was new.

?

"I'm dropping you off and then leaving."

"What? You're leaving me alone with Mom?"

"Relax, Sakura…" He shook his head, "You should spend some quality time with her… You never do anymore!"

"Sasori, shut up!" his little sister mumbled grumpily, "Mom is crazy, and she'd try and take me like… shopping or something…"

"Go buy a dress and make her happy… Who cares if she's paying for it?"

"But she'll drag it out and try and buy me a whole new wardrobe. And just because I Let her buy me stuff – she'll think she'll do me a 'favor'," she made air quotations with her fingers, and rolled her eyes, "and clean out my closet!"

Her mom hadn't always been like that. Ever since her parents split up when she was nine, there was just something… weird… about her. Sasori had started looking out for her, and their mother's relationship with them just sort of… changed.

It's not like they hated each other, or never talked, but she had become so airy about everything – it was odd, and Sasori and Sakura spent years trying to figure out what was going on, but finally gave up. They loved her to death, they just stopped trying to figure her out.

Before Sasori could say anything back to her, a voice behind them interrupted. "Sakura?" They both turned, and she smiled.

"Hey, Naruto…"

He wrung his hands in front of him, in an almost nervous manner, but his eyes spoke to her – he needed to talk to her about something important. "Would you like to go get ramen with me?"

"I'd love to…" She smiled, and turned to Sasori, "I'll see you later, huh?"

"Yeah, sure…" He nodded to the two of them and got in his car, starting it up immediately.

As they walked, the clouds rolled overhead, becoming thicker and darker as time went on. Their footsteps were the only sound that filled them, besides the rustle of leaves from the cool breeze.

"So… what's up, Naruto? Why the sudden ramen run?"

"We just haven't done it in a while!" He laughed, his eyes closed, and his face seemingly happy.

"I know that's not the only reason," she pushed, smiling fondly back at him.

"Well…" He suddenly seemed uncomfortable. His orange jacket was bright against the dull, off-white fence behind him. She looked down, waiting for him to answer, watching the grass sway back and forth. "About what happened today with, Ino…"

"Oh?" She was suddenly interested, curious about what he would say.

She slipped her pale hands into her jean pockets, shifting her backpack on her shoulder, as he sighed, "Look Sakura… Sasuke… Well, I know it's not my place to say, but he's had a rough time… This is the first year he's been in a school since he's been seven. Otherwise – he's been homeschooled…"

Sakura blinked. Out of all the things that she thought Naruto would bring up, that was definitely _not_ one of them.

"So… He's just not…. Used to this kind of stuff, you know? And like – he doesn't really know any better. I agree that he should have common sense, but he's always been taught to do his best…" He sighed, his azure eyes stealing a quick look at the girl. "Like a competition with Itachi, you know? He's always competing to be better than him…"

The girl didn't know what in the world to say. She hadn't expected any of this from Sasuke, and it was a definite surprise she was finding out from Naruto. "Thanks for telling me, Naruto…" She let on a small grin.

"But don't tell him I told you!" He hastily added, "Like I told you – it's not my place to say this kind of stuff…"

She nodded, her light hair covering her emerald eyes slightly. "Mm hm!" She was determined to keep that promise, but at the same time she wondered… What exactly was Sasuke hiding?

?

**A/N: Yay for another chapter? I hope you all liked it. Please review!**

**-zesty-**


	6. Poking Fun

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 6: Poking Fun**

He was positively, absolutely ready to walk home. He had begun trekking along the sidewalk in the direction that he thought his house was… He didn't really pay attention on the drive to school… Itachi had insisted that he catch a ride.

And of course, last night when he _was_ paying attention, it was dark, and there weren't any street lights.

But of course, he seemed to have bad luck all the way around on his first day at a new school. It began to downpour. It wasn't your average downpour either, oh no… Sheets of rain dumped themselves over the town, and there was definitely warnings of flash floods, he already knew…

He could sense everything moving around him due to the splashing in the rain. He was already drenched, soaked to the bone, clothes clinging to him, hair plastered to his face. He didn't really care that anything was getting wet, except his bag, that he held preciously tucked under his arm for the best security he could give.

That's when he heard the car. The sleek movement of Itachi's car was highlighted due to the revving engine in the rain, even though it was completely silent most of the time. It was an original car, actually used in the filming for the movie "Fast and the Furious", but it didn't really impress Sasuke – just everyone else.

An automatic window whooshed as it was rolled down and Itachi leaned towards it, trying to yell through the pouring water, "Get in, Sasuke!"

The raven haired sophomore stubbornly kept walking. The car inched by his side, moving at a pedophile rate down the road. The thought of calling the cops on 'suspicious behavior' vaguely flashed in his mind, but he decided against it.

"Sasuke quit being stubborn! You're going to get sick!"

He figured his older brother was right. Dammit, he hated when Itachi was right, but he sighed in defeat and yanked open the left back door.

"Don't you want to sit in the front?" He offered politely, glancing in the rear view mirror, only to receive a glare.

"Do you want me in the car, or walking home?" The older Uchiha sighed, and started to drive.

It was silent for a while, and Sasuke wished either they'd get home, or he'd at least turn on the radio. Unfortunately, he began to talk.

"So Sasuke… We never really got the chance to talk last night… How was Uncle's house?"

He flinched, "Fine."

"Are you… better?"

A look of pure anger and hatred flashed across Sasuke's face, though Itachi missed it, due to trying to see in the blinding rain.

"Stop the car."

"What? What do you mean, I'm not stopping –"

The door in the back was forcefully shoved open, and Sasuke held it there with his leg. Though they weren't going that fast, Itachi couldn't have his brother jump out, so he stopped. Sasuke kept his bag in the car on the floor, hoping Itachi wouldn't see it and take it, and stood up, back in the soaking rain.

He almost laughed at the giant wet spot he had left in the back, looking as though someone had dumped a bucket of water on the precious seat. Then he slammed the door, shoved his hands into his soggy pockets, and trudged through the puddles, not caring that everything about him was soaked.

"Sasuke!"

He didn't listen – just kept moving forward.

?

After a while, the teenager was rather irritated with being in the rain, and he shuddered every few seconds due to the freezing body temperature he had dropped to. He found the nearest shop, and pushed open the door, his body instantly eating all the heat it could around him.

Glancing around, he saw paper lights, with bar stools and red booths all over. There were Japanese symbols hanging on the walls, and he knew from the very smell, and vivid picture that was painted in his mind so many times over the years…

He was in Naruto's favorite ramen shop… and of course, how could the picture be complete, if Naruto himself wasn't there…

His bright orange jacket stood out, as he sat at the counter with someone. That's when Sasuke froze, reconsidering residing in there, and thinking it possible to book it. It was Sakura. They were eating and laughing, but Naruto's perphial vision was keener than Sasuke gave him credit for.

Whipping his head to the side, he waved, "Sasuke! Hey Sasuke over here! Sasuke!" Considering he was the only other person _in_ the ramen shop, he didn't see why the blonde had to be so obnoxious about steering him over.

Nevertheless, he walked coolly towards the two of them.

"Hey, what happened to you, you look like a drowned rat!" He began to laugh at his own joke, and Sasuke made a disgusted face.

Though the blonde kept chuckles about him, he put on a straight face. Sakura had a sincere smile on her face, and she looked truly delighted to see Sasuke looking like a cat that just fell in a bathtub.

"Take a seat buddy, you finally get to taste the best ramen your tongue has ever laid itself on!" The kid always had a weird way of expressing things…

He ordered a bowl of ramen just like his own, and in no time at all, they set the steaming hot bowl in front of Sasuke. The smell was taken in by his senses, and he finally realized how hungry he was.

Picking up chop sticks, he tasted the odd looking dish. As he swallowed, the heat felt wondrous as it slipped down his throat. In reality, the dish was positively delicious.

With a composed face, he shrugged, "It's okay."

Sakura snorted, and continued eating her own bowl, as Naruto grinned and turned back to his own. "Hey Sasuke?" She asked, her tone sweet.

"What?" He asked, not appreciating the weird way she was going about asking him something.

"Is it raining outside?" She questioned, keeping a completely serious face, though it looked ditzy, confused, curious, and much like that character Karin's face when she was asked how to spell her own name.

"Nope." He answered simply and went back to eating.

Naruto glanced at the two, "Yeah but, it is… Why would you –" As they both shot him looked, sympathizing for his own stupidity, his face scrunched all knowingly, "Oh I get it…" He chuckled, "nice one, Sakura…"

She laughed, "Only you wouldn't get that right away, Naruto…"

Sasuke took in her features. Her eyes were a beautiful emerald, vibrant and loving as she talked to her friend. Her hair was slightly wet, and had a stunning texture, though it was straight when it fell down her back. Even her clothes complimented her, even though they weren't quite the girliest style.

"Hey when are you gonna start driving, Naruto? I would kill for rides to school that aren't in that horrid 1967 car Sasori drives!" She laughed.

"Um… Well… I still have ten hours to work at that farm on weekends…"

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Come on… You know…"

If this was the incident Sasuke was thinking about, he could let on a smile.

"No, I don't…" She blinked, her lashes brushing against her pale cheeks.

"You know… the cows…" He swirled his drink around the in plastic cup.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and his lips twitched upwards. He leaned back a little, and put his feet up on the bar of Naruto's stool, "Oh yeah! The last time you tried to drive –"

"It was one cow!" Naruto insisted, glancing at Sakura for help.

She gave him a disapproving stare, "Okay, it was a few cows, but still!"

"Hmm…" Sasuke faked realization and smirked, readying himself to make fun of the blonde – he never missed his chance, "Didn't you run _into_ them?"

Sakura burst out laughing, "Is that still why Jiraiya won't let you drive?"

He grumbled something unintelligent, and crossed his arms in a pouty, immature way that only made the pink haired girl laugh harder. Sasuke cracked his own little smirk, but turned back towards his ramen.

His mood wasn't about the people around him – no… Even if it was, it's not like he would ever admit it. He was feeling confident, his stomach full of a delicious treat, and the atmosphere just right for teasing.

But as soon as the laughter died down, things were awkward between himself and the girl. Naruto tried talking, but didn't really get a big response out of both of them together. He was upset that the two of them wouldn't just try and get along… So he started developing a plan…

"Say Sasuke?"

"Hm?" he half asked, half grunted.

"What's your favorite food in the world?" Naruto asked, trying to seem as innocent as Sakura was earlier – it didn't really work. It was a lot creepier than her own tactics.

Sasuke raised an interested eyebrow. The blonde had known ever since they were eight years old what his favorite food was, and it hadn't changed since then. "What do you mean?"

Naruto snickered, "Well what is it?" He couldn't quite make out what the blonde was attempting to complete or discover, but he knew if he didn't answer, he would look like a total idiot.

"Onigiri… Why do you ask?" He was curious for the blonde's answer. (Onigiri is a Japanese dish – I can see Sasuke just being like that – that's basically a ball of rice with a filling on the inside)

With a grin set on his face, no signs of moving, he ignored the dark haired Uchiha and turned to his other friend, who looked equally as confused, "Sakura… What's your favorite thing to do?"

She glanced quickly at the boy behind him, but he refused to give her any hints, whether he knew what Naruto was talking about or not, so she sighed, "You know this already, Naruto, so why do you ask?"

"I don't know!" He let air escape his lips, causing them to vibrate, making a sound mimicking a house, as he waved his hand through the air, "I don't _know!_ So tell me!" He had his composer back in mere seconds.

"Painting…" Before anyone had a chance to say a thing, she spoke again, "Naruto, why are you asking all these dumb questions you already know?"

Though Sasuke would have liked to hear the answer to her own question, he couldn't help but think about what Sakura had said. Painting? That's weird that they had that in common. It had been such a long time though, since Sasuke had actually painted, and he wondered if he'd be any good at it anymore.

"You two won't try and get to know each other!" He whined, "So I'm doing it for you!"

"That's ridiculous!" She scoffed, "I don't want to get to know Mister Uchiha – he's an asshole!"

"The same goes towards you Haruno…" He muttered viciously.

Naruto sighed and ordered another bowl of ramen. He would try again some other time…

?

By the time the rain had stopped, they were all ready to leave. There was light talking, and for the sake of not having such an awful night, the three of them actually had a nice conversation.

It was dripping so much when they stepped outside the shop, that it almost seemed like it was still raining. _So much for drying off before I had to walk home…_ Sasuke muttered bitterly, as he watched droplets fall to his clothes once more.

"So Sasuke where do you live?" She was curious to know just how far he would have to walk.

"Why, so you can come stalk me?" Her face scrunched up in disgust, and Naruto switched spots with the girl so he wasn't caught in the crossfire.

She punched him in the arm rather angrily, "Yeah because I want to stalk someone like you!" The girl snarled at him, sticking her nose up in the air.

He simply rolled his eyes – he had to try and be somewhat nice. "I live like five miles from here."

Both Naruto and Sakura were surprised he answered her at all, but went with it.

"Five miles?" She parroted, her face flabbergasted. "It's supposed to start raining again…"

"Then I'll walk fast…" He winked and turned, waving good-bye to the two before beginning to move in the dark direction towards his house. He sighed – getting close to that girl was going to be much harder than he originally thought.

?

**A/N Lol this was probably my favorite chapter so far to write :) I need a few more reviews before I update again so :) if you wanna read more, give me some feedback!**

**-zesty-**


	7. Hauntings of the Past

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 7: Hauntings of the Past**

"_Ani, what are those things?" he pointed upwards, his wide onyx eyes following the path of his pale finger._

_A matching set of eyes also rose to where the small hand gestured too, and he watched the twinkling, natural lights in the sky, and smiled, placing his hand on the boy's hair, ruffling it slightly. "Those are stars, Obouto…" The voice was calm and gentle, and soothed the raven haired boy as he gazed upwards._

_A cold breeze stung the taller boy on the cheeks, and he glanced down in slight worry, seeing his pink-faced little brother. He shucked off his sweatshirt, and placed it over the boy's shoulders, "Take this, Sasuke… I don't want you catching a cold…"_

_The boy proudly slid his arms into his older brother's sweatshirt, as though he were the coolest person in the world. But sadly, he glanced at the other male, "What about you, Ani?"_

"_I'll be alright…" He nodded and smiled, but this didn't satisfy the boy. He sluggishly pulled off his small gloves, carefully making sure they weren't inside out before holding them up to his brother._

"_Here!" His face was dead serious about him taking the gloves, and this caused his big brother to laugh, though slipped them on.. He recognized them as his own, only making his smile grow fonder._

"_Look Sasuke!" In a sudden moment, his older brother pointed to the sky, dropping to his knees to be at the same height as Sasuke, trying to gain his attention quickly, "There's a shooting star!"_

_His face glowed brighter than the glittering stars at that moment, eyes enlarged in wonder, mouth open in awe. He watched as it shot by, leaving a pretty, dusty trail of its tail for just a moment before disappearing._

"_Make a wish!"_

_A thoughtful look spread across Sasuke's face before it lit up in realization, "I'm going to wish for you, me, mother, and father to be together forever and ever!" He nodded his head, as though he was determined to make that happen. "Are you sure it'll come true, Itachi?"_

"_I'm one-hundred percent positive!" He promised with the same unwavering nod._

?

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, as he sat up in bed. His sheets were moist with cold sweat his body had drawn out in the middle of the night. The same God damn dream… He knew which one would be tonight then… His dreams were a repeat of the past, and they played in order until the worst of the suffering was over, then… It would start again at the beginning.

He closed his eyes and slowly pushed the blankets off of him. For some reason, he just _knew_ it was going to be a long day… Glancing at the clock, he realized that he had woken up an hour and a half earlier than he had desired.

_5:15 a.m._

He sighed melodramatically, and pushed open his door, in an attempt to be quiet. He didn't want his brother lurking about, bombarding him with his "let's talk" argument again. That was awful.

When he had finally gotten home last night, he had had the excuse of showering and going straight to bed… Since he showered less than twelve hours ago, he didn't have the lucky excuse this morning.

As he slowly let his feet drop each step of the staircase, he suddenly stopped and ducked down, holding in all the breath he had, not wanting to make a single noise.

"I'm worried about him, Uncle…" someone on the other line must have been speaking, because Itachi sat up straighter, and opened his mouth as though he wanted to speak, but stopped short.

"I'm just not sure what to do… He still won't talk to me, but he's fine with Naruto…" He then let out an exasperated sigh, and ran a hand through his hair, "I know he trusts him more than me…" There was a short pause, "I _understand_ that he blames me! You think I don't blame myself as well?" He hissed into the phone, his brow creased in anger, before letting out a breath, then leaning back.

"Alright, I'll give him his space. I hope he comes around though – I would love my little brother back…"

As Sasuke heard the last bit of their conversation, he was already back at the top of the stairs, laying on the floor in fear of catching Itachi's attention. His eyes stared towards a black ceiling, it too dark to be able to make out any shapes.

Itachi had seriously said those things about him? One part of him tugged towards the older Uchiha – the small, scared little boy in him wanted to have his role model, his best friend, his big brother once again.

He stopped, suddenly glaring at nothing. What kind of sappy thought was that? With a grunt he stood, and noisily, making sure the dark haired senior heard him. He glanced over, but didn't say anything at first.

"Hello, Sasuke."

'Hi…" He grunted, and went into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He expected the guy to follow him, breathing down his neck – the works.

After waiting for a few moments, his shoulder tense, and a wince ready to burst out of him, he opened his eyes that were previously squeezed shut. No one followed him into the kitchen. Snorting about his cautious attitude, he tipped the glass up once more, gulping down the refreshing juice as quickly as he could.

Suddenly a loud ring seemed to boom throughout the house, making Sasuke jump five feet in the air, throwing his glass up, and watching it as it shattered on the floor. A slight chuckle wafted into the room from his brother sitting on the couch.

Sasuke glared and opened his mouth, ready to yell, "What the hell is that?"

"The phone, dear Obouto…"

"When the fuck did it get so loud?" He demanded, eyes angry.

"When there were no longer enough people to fill the house to hear it all the time…" He replied with a slightly dark tone – Sasuke regretted asking instantly.

"Hello?" Itachi's voice was monotone as he answered, eyes bored as his little brother peered around the corner, curiosity leaking about who it was. With all the silence in the huge house, Sasuke could hear very easily who it was.

"Itachi! I looked up your phone number in the phone book!" The hyper voice made both of the brother's eyes widen. "I can't sleep so I decided to call and see if I could talk to Sasuke!" The raven haired teen could almost _hear_ the grin.

Itachi smirked at him and motioned to the phone on the wall. With a grunt, his brother picked up.

"What do you want, Naruto?" He asked, glaring at the wall.

"Wow… _Someone_ isn't happy in the morning!" He snickered. "So, I was thinking… Since by the time we get to school, I won't have had ramen for about two hours and –"

Sasuke slammed the phone back against the wall in a fit of irritation, and stormed into the living room, sighing exasperated and flopping onto the couch.

Itachi stared at him for a few moments, "Would you care for breakfast since we're both awake?"

"Hn…" He mumbled back in reply.

"I'll take that as a yes…" He stood and moved towards the door, Sasuke peeking his head over the couch to watch him go.

?

Breakfast was awkward. Every time Itachi began to ask about Sasuke, or anything involving him, he began coughing erratically, and his stupid older brother never got the hint and attempted his interrogation all through the meal.

As soon as Sasuke had scarfed down as much food as was thrown onto his plate, he bolted for upstairs, though began to seek a new hiding spot instead of his room – it wouldn't be a danger-free zone in there forever.

His mind galloped as he quickly wandered around the halls of the giant house. Those charcoal orbs luckily spotted something a floor above his room that could save his life.

A single wooden door with a golden handle was his discovery, and cautiously he pushed it open, afraid perhaps he would stumble upon a room he didn't want to see. But there in front of him was a wooden staircase, much less classy than the rest of the sparkling house.

He stepped on the first step, suddenly curious as to what his old attic held – he was never allowed up there as a child unless accompanied by his mother or father – not even Itachi was allowed upstairs on his own.

What he saw was nothing special like he anticipated. There were a few things of his – things he hadn't seen in _forever_ a few black, plastic covers slipped over hangers of only God knows what, oodles of boxes, a few ancient things he barely remembered, and some littered things of Itachi's.

There wasn't anything special, and he sighed.

This place was perfect…

He moved towards the window, pushing open the curtains to see an amazing view of the lake not too far out on their property, and he actually let on a smile. Next to the window, propped against the wall was a painting easel. It was a lot shorter than him now, but it still had an old painting hanging in it – never finished by Sasuke himself.

It was a starry night with two figures sitting in the grass. It wasn't half bad for someone who was six at the time, and he bit his lip.

Itachi and himself – that night, just like in his dream. His older brother had explained to him what those unknown dots were in the sky – what it was like to have a wish completely shattered…

Narrowing his eyes, he took the picture off and threw it across the attic, suddenly glaring out the window, and storming out of the attic, slamming the door, and not saying a word to Itachi when he passed.

?

Kisame chuckled darkly as he dialed Itachi's number, and held the phone up to his ear.

There was a hello on the other line before Kisame chuckled, "Meet me at the school with your brother, I've got a plan…" With that he hung up, and grinned as Sasori walked by, chatting with his little sister, completely oblivious to the plans behind his back.

?

"Homeroom was… interesting…" Sakura shrugged, nonchalantly, "It wasn't that big of a deal, I just stayed away from Karin. You know… she calls _me_ the cow!"

Ino laughed and sat at the table, "So this drama from algebra – did you get it settled today?" She wondered out loud.

The pink haired girl snorted, and opened her carton of milk, "Oh no… Mesuki wasn't there and the sub _refused_ to just listen to everyone in the class. Instead we had a damned pop quiz that I bet completely stumped that dumb ass Uchiha!" She growled, narrowing her eyes.

"My dearest sister!" Sasori slammed his hands down onto the table, causing Sakura and Ino to jump.

It was the beginning of lunch – actually… It didn't start for another ten minutes, but the girls miraculously got there early, slipping out of foreign language after a smooth talking by Sakura – picking up French had always been a cinch for her, and the teacher loved her for it.

"What do you want?" She questioned skeptically. Her brother was _too_ happy once again.

"I'm going to Itachi's tonight… I thought I would let you know."

"Thanks for sharing?" She glanced at Ino, kind of confused.

"You see – I called mom… She said she wasn't letting you stay home alone… She and Father are having a 'date night' tonight…"

"Shit…" She cursed, glaring at the redhead, "Why tonight? That means I have to go _with_ you!" She whined to the older Haruno.

"Itachi is okay with it… You can torture your friend even more now! Think about it – over twenty-four hours with him!" He chuckled, watching his sister squirm in her chair, "See you after school!"

She grumbled, and turned back to her plate.

She had to spend quality time with Sasuke? Well at least pissing him off was one of the more fun activities of her day…

?

**A/N: I know that might not have been quite as interesting as everyone wanted it to be, but the attic leads up to things, and the dream was too – Itachi and Sasuke's relationship was explained a little more, and there's a little more information on Sasuke's past :)**

**I hope everyone is excited for the ending of the chapter though :) Please come back and read more!**

**Oh yes – don't forget to review!**

**-zesty-**


	8. Competition Begins to Build

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 8: Competition Begins to Build**

The end of the day came _way_ too fast. Unfortunately for Sakura, she wouldn't have a time to breathe. Her parents were already gone when Sasori pulled into the driveway, and he was planning on leaving right away.

She complained to Ino the whole time she put a bag of stuff together – she wished the blonde girl could take her spot…

Of course, her relying on her friend to nag to was completely shattered when Ino agreed one hundred percent with her suggestion. That's when the phone conversation ended.

She had tried speaking with Naruto about it too, but she had picked the wrong time – home room was almost her only class with the blonde, and he only nodded with a foxy grin… downing the instant ramen Kakashi had allowed him to heat in the microwave just before the bell.

Here she was in the car, miserably watching as the Uchiha manor came into view. Sasori pulled through the gate with no problem, the people recognizing his car, and stopped by the entrance.

It took him a few minutes to pry the girl out of the car, and drag her up the stairs, but soon he was pushing the door open, Itachi sitting in the living room reading a book, Sasuke no where in sight.

The sight her eyes landed on was her living hell…

?

Sasuke stretched his legs out under his desk, but snapped back into place… leaning forward, his eyes scanning the screen. It was an email from Kisame, he had just received.

_Tonight is your chance Sasuke… You might want to step it up though… Itachi is going to be subtle, and charming. Trust me – he's my best friend… _

_Come out of your retard shell and get a move on – I know there's the Uchiha charm somewhere in you… Your brother couldn't have inherited it all…_

_P.S. Tell Itachi to buy more tuna – I'm coming over tomorrow, and I need _something_ to eat!_

The raven haired guy chewed on his lip as he weighed his options. This would really be going past his personal comfort zone. He didn't want to converse with this damned female – all of them at this school were obnoxious…

He knew it after just two days… It wouldn't get better – just like Naruto's hair wouldn't become any less obnoxiously yellow…

For a moment, breaking out of his serious reverie, he pictured Naruto with chocolate brown hair, or even jet black hair – similar to his own. A wince shook him back to reality, as he heard his brother's voice waft in from the living room.

"Glad you could make it over, Sasori…" He turned to the pink haired girl, "And it's always a pleasure to see you, Sakura…"

Sakura stuck her nose up, not replying. She was angry about being there, and she didn't need Itachi being a creep to her, like he was to every other girl whose pants he wanted to get into.

"She's just thrilled to be seeing Sasuke…" Sasori glanced at her, and then emotionlessly at Itachi, "What's our plans?"

"Go over some moves first? And perhaps have a few girls over…" He winked, and began up the stairs slowly, "Sasori, I know you know where your room is… Sakura, let me show you yours…"

She raised an eyebrow as she hopped up the stairs behind him, wondering just what he was getting at exactly.

Itachi was just about to lead her to the room next to his – the room where it was _impossible_ to sleep in… The loud noise of the washer and dryer, furnace, and other such things from the floor below was ridiculously hard to ignore – even if one was good at blocking things out.

Unfortunately for the eldest Uchiha, Sasuke opened his door and stepped into the hallway at that time.

"Hello Obouto," Itachi greeted light heartedly – Sasuke saw through his deception right away – even if Itachi didn't mean it like that at all…

"Itachi." He replied lamely, but then turned to Sasori and his sister, though not speaking, "Where are they sleeping?" He questioned.

His older brother glanced at Sasori, "He's going to be in that room over there," He pointed to the room Sasori always received when over – a home away from his psycho parents. "And Sakura will be in the one at the end of the hallway?"

"Wow, you're a bigger douche bag than I thought."

Everyone looked a little surprised at that comment as Sasuke shook his head, "Gonna give her the room where you hear every noise in the house –" He snorted, and pointed at a random room across the hall – not by his room… or Itachi's, "That room is perfectly fine."

Sakura glanced unevenly at the other sophomore – what was he plotting?

Itachi let out a small chuckle… So, his brother was going to play the game after all, eh? The kid had more spark built up in him than his older brother had given him credit for…

"Alright…" He pivoted towards the door and opened it, allowing her to walk inside, "We're going to practice downstairs – perhaps you could keep her company, Sasuke…"

There was a definite challenge in that simple little suggestion, but only the two brothers could connect that together.

"Hn…" He jerked his head to the side, and moved towards his room again, until he heard Sakura's voice.

"Yes, Ino it's huge…"

The girl, receiving a phone call, already took cover in the room, and shut the door – though not entirely. He decided he would have a little bit of a heads up on the girl.

"No Ino, I'm not going to sneak you in here…"

"_Why not, forehead? You said it yourself that we should switch places!_"

"I'll send you some pictures of the house, how about that?"

"_You don't get a profit…"_

"What?"What was this profit her friend was talking about?

"_Sakura! These pictures that you speak of will go for probably billions of dollars! You will not get a profit just because you took them!" _She shrieked, loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

"I'm not interested in money, Ino… I could care less about the Uchihas' personally…"

"_Your nuts… I've gotta go, I feel soo bad for you!" _The sarcasm was dripping off of her tone at an alarming rate.

"Karma's a bitch, Ino… Just remember that!" She hastily slurred into the phone so her friend would catch it.

The girl threw her phone onto the bed and opened the door, yelping and jumping back seeing Sasuke so close. "What are you doing?" She demanded, "Why are you being such a creep?"

"Hn…" He turned and shoved his hands in his pockets, heading for the stairs.

Ino's comment about their house made her curious… And besides – what the hell – she didn't have anything else to do. Switching into ninja mode, she crept up the stairs after Sasuke, determined to see what he was doing.

?

Sasuke pushed the door open to the rickety old attic and trotted up the stairs. He hadn't had a lot of time to work out the space, but he set up a newer model of an easel, and put all of his painting supplies upstairs, along with his old sketch book.

The perfect place where Itachi wouldn't find any of it – considering it hadn't looked like anyone had been up there in at least five years… He cleared the boxes in such a way that it made a fortress by the window, so that he had all the space to work that he needed.

Of course though… He was still _very_ tentative about picking up painting again… In truth, he was scared. It resurfaced memories he hoped wouldn't come back to him until he was dead, but… It wasn't working with how much time he was spending up there… It had been his small sanctuary ever since he was little…

He would sneak up there when his parents weren't home, just to get away, and sometimes, depending on how busy they were, he would go up there when he knew they wouldn't be looking for him.

Sakura had attempted to stealth her way up the stairs, but the ancient wood gave Sasuke warning to her arrival. The first squeak was a loud, dead giveaway, and had him bounding down the stairs angrily.

He was seeing red, and shoved the figure backwards, but when he calmed down, he saw it was Sakura.

There was an awkward silence between the two, Sasuke embarrassed, Sakura pretty much in shock.

She took a few steps back, and he knew by pushing her away, he crumbled the pitiful start he had had. Finally, not being able to bare the tension, she turned and made a retreat, almost sprinting back downstairs.

"Sakur….a…" He sighed in defeat, plopping on the ground and slamming his back against the door, "Damn…"

?

Sakura sat on the last step, watching Itachi and Sasori practice their karate moves on each other. Both elbows were on her knees, with her chin in both hands, her face as blank and cold as ever. She was bored, and angry…

Who knew the most popular guys at school would have the most _boring_ house!

"Sasori!" She grumbled.

He looked up at her, only to be hit in the face. He stumbled back, and continued fighting, ignoring her completely.

Sighing exasperatedly, she fell back on the steps and watched the uneventful ceiling. Finally, she lashed out because it wasn't doing anything to entertain her, and got up, stomping over to the two and stepping between them.

They both were careful to stop their shots – not wanting to have a repeat of what happened in gym class.

"I'm bored. Isn't there anything to do?" She asked both of them.

"We could take a break Sasori… I'm sure the girls are on their way over…" He nodded all knowingly, and gestured for Sakura to go into the kitchen with him to get something to drink.

"I do apologize for having to have you here tonight…"

"Ahh… I'm used to it by now…" She shrugged, "My parents and their date nights…"

He chuckled, "That must be a high bummer."

She was careful enough not to bring up what had happened to the Uchihas almost a decade ago. She knew it still must be sore, though she was curious about it. "I hate for this to be personal, but… I mean, did your parents ever do anything like this before?"

"I was very young… when they passed away, but yes… I do recall on several occasions leaving Sasuke at home with a babysitter, and going to a friend's house…" He left out the very key information about that memory.

Sakura was surprised to hear that, "Sasuke? But then… Why hasn't he been here for like… nine years…?"

He looked away, the subject even trickier than the last one, "It's not my place to say…" He shook his head, and stiffened, "Well… feel free to use whatever you want in the house – what is ours, is yours…" He winked, though he wondered if she caught it, and moseyed out of the room.

A blush cursed her cheeks, as she turned, brushing hair behind her ear. Such a small little gesture had her flustered like an idiot… Even the most defiant girl in school got uncomfortable in the presence of the high school God. She chuckled before walking out of the kitchen herself.

Sasuke was the only one who realized they never came back with food like they said they were going to.

?

**A/N: So… I didn't like that chapter at all… But… Oh well I guess… I hope you liked the interaction between them – well see how it goes next chapter :) they've got a whooole night ahead of them :D**

**Wish me luck – Sorry – I've had writers block. Please Review! At least four? Before I review again :) Thank you!**

**-zesty-**


	9. Charm Works Both Ways

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 9: Charm Works Both Ways**

Sakura sat politely in the living room while Sasori and Itachi talked, every once in a while, throwing in her own opinions about things. It wasn't until later that she got bored enough to dare to go back upstairs.

Cautiously, she looked out for Sasuke, but stopped and laughed. "Why am I being so dumb about this? Like I'm worried about what the hell happened with him…" She snorted.

"Nothing happened to me, so why are you worried?" He asked, his tone almost monotone.

She jumped and spun around, seeing him with his hands shoved into his pockets, eyebrow raised in ignorant curiosity.

"I…" She had to think of an excuse fast, otherwise, be caught in the act of caring about the asshole, "was talking about someone else!" She exclaimed, then threw on a fake angry face, "Why do you care?"

"It sure sounded a lot like me…"

"Please… Don't be so arrogant…"

"Then don't be a liar…" He shot back, and she found herself grinning at his response. He stepped closer to her, "You know, you seem different."

"How so?" She was surely suspicious of the sudden topic change.

"You aren't like those other girls at school who seem to think they're going to marry me…"

"At least you're modest about it," She spoke with sarcasm dripping off of her tone at a deadly rate. He would have to watch his ground – he was walking on thin ice with a hot temper – if he didn't break it, it would be sure to melt soon enough.

"It's the truth, Pinkie…"

"Don't," she hissed, "call me _Pinkie_, Uchiha."

He ignored her comment completely and began walking. She couldn't help but follow him. "You're more of a bitch than them."

She scoffed, "Excuse me?"

"More blunt," He corrected, then chuckled, "I kind of like it. It's refreshing…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Why do you ask so many questions…"

"Because you don't make sense…" She glared at him, speed walking to catch up with him, then falling into step along side the raven haired teen. "I'm curious about you, I won't lie there."

"So you were… thinking about me?" He raised another eyebrow at her, and she shoved him.

"Don't get ahead of yourself there, kiddo… You're all moody and angst, but, I don't think that's really how you are…" She shook her head and looked away, almost feeling disgusted that she was having a regular conversation with him.

As innocently as possible, Sakura plotted how to bring up what Itachi had said to her in the kitchen. She had no idea what the conversation would entail, but she was too curious to stop herself from asking, "Hey Uchiha?"

"Hn."

"Can I ask you a question?" They continued to walk, though she wasn't at all sure where they were going.

"Whatever…" His moody obliviousness to what was coming next really made her laugh.

"Itachi told me that your parents passed away," He looked away, and immediately she knew she shouldn't speak anymore. She placed her hand on his shoulder as if to apologize for bringing it up.

"Go on…" He knew what came next.

She gulped, suddenly nervous and shy, "He said that you used to live here with him, but…" she thought about how to word it, "you moved, and now came back? I was just wondering, what that was about…" When didn't answer, she began apologizing.

He put up a hand to stop her, but stayed in deep thought, plopping down on a nearby chair, gesturing her to do the same.

?

"_Sasuke won't you please say something to me?" Itachi begged his younger brother._

_But the boy, with no emotion in his eyes, sat staring down at his hands, thinking about possibilities that he could have prevented this… Thought about how _Itachi _could have prevented it, and the ate he felt well up in his chest was almost unbearable._

_The older Uchiha glanced at his uncle, hanging off to the side inspecting the two. "Sasuke…" The boy looked up at the new voice. "How would you like maybe spending a little time with me at my place? You can have all the pizza and chocolate cake you want. I know how much you love chocolate…"_

_Even to that Sasuke couldn't crack a smile – he continued looking down at his lap, no emotion strung over his face._

"_Sasuke…" Itachi started, exasperated that the boy was being rude even to their uncle._

_He looked back up, but not at Itachi, only at their uncle. He nodded slowly, and slid off the couch, moving upstairs._

_He knew what it meant – he knew that he wouldn't be coming back until he was ready to communicate to Itachi… But he thought that would never happen… Pulling out a bag, he shoved everything that was important to him in, until he only left his sketch book on his bed._

_Painting, drawing, music – the arts in general was something both of his parents had wanted him to be involved in – just like Itachi had started as well… Unfortunately, without them here, he didn't know if he had the heart. Turning away from it, he also picked up his green dinosaur from his bed._

_He looked at it – the raggedness of it, and remembered how he received it – the bestest birthday present from Itachi he had ever received – his big brother always knew what he wanted. The six year old hugged the dinosaur as tightly as he could as tears began to roll down his cheeks._

"_I sorry…" He mumbled, before putting him back down on the bed, watching small drops of moisture hit the sheets and the doll. He tucked him into bed and kissed his forehead, a searing pain hitting his chest as he recalled his mother doing that for him not even two months ago._

_Dragging his bag on the floor, he looked in the mirror and wiped his tears away, pulling out the emotionless mask he allowed himself to sport. IT was better his brother didn't know his pain. Though he was angry at him – he knew he didn't want Itachi to suffer because Sasuke let him know it was his fault._

_Trudging back down the stairs, he opened the door and decided to wait outside. Itachi let his head fall in defeat, and his uncle hugged him briefly saying he would come to pick up Itachi every other weekend for some company._

_He also called the only friend that he knew of Itachi's. He asked Sasori if he could speak with his father, and Mr. Haruno had agreed to allow Itachi to frequently spend the night._

_His uncle hugged him once more and told him everything would be alright after awhile. The young Uchiha nodded, and with that his uncle walked out the door – leaving Sasuke's older brother more guilty and alone as he'd ever been before._

_?_

"It was nothing…" He answered simply, "I just," he shrugged, trying to conjure a lie on the spot, "wanted to live with my uncle for awhile…" his skills went rewarded when she answered with a nod.

Whether she believed him, or was just nodding along because she didn't want to push the subject, Sasuke would never know, but this worked enough for him.

Suddenly, Itachi yelled something up the stairs but before either of the two sophomores realized what he had said, a flash of orange and yellow darted up to them.

"Sakura! Sasuke! Bonding!" Naruto gasped, "This is so exciting!" He danced around a little until Sasuke threw the closest object to him, at his best friend.

It was a glass vase, and after Naruto barely dodged it, it smashed into a wall with a hard echo and shattered into a million different, glittering pieces. Meanwhile, Naruto stared wide-eyed at Sasuke, "Teme, you're quite crabby today."

Sakura laughed at the name, and stood from her spot in the chair. Sasuke was still depressed in his self loathing from the secrets he had hid from a girl who was just curious about his past.

"Why are you here, Dobe?" Sasuke asked him, tilting his head a little – apparently he had broken through his reverie.

"Jiraiya went out tonight –" he made a face, giving Sakura and Sasuke full detail in itself about what kind of outing he was attending, "- and he said I wasn't allowed to stay at home alone."

"Probably afraid you were going to run over another cow," Sakura stated, only laughing harder when Naruto whipped around, glancing at her with big, puppy eyes.

"Why do you say such hurtful things to me, Sakura?" He sighed, though the other two could tell he was joking – partially.

"He let you come here?" Sasuke grumbled – irritated that his time with Sakura was going to be interrupted.

"Well… I'm actually supposed to be walking to the store to stock up on ramen – then coming here… But he dropped me off here first…"

"Go to the store, Dobe… Then I'll let you stay… Pick up some stuff first though…" He made a list of things Itachi was missing from the kitchen due to his lack of taste for anything delicious.

"Okay!" Naruto got the hint and smirked at his friend, before running back down the stairs.

"He's crazy…" Sakura laughed, smiling about their random little moment.

"Agreed…" He shook his head and sat back down, "Where were we?" He glanced at her, a little interested now that he had seen her perk up.

"Why'd you almost kill me when I was following you up the stairs earlier?"

"I didn't know it was you – thought it was Itachi… And plus…" He defended absent-mindedly, "It's kind of a personal place up there."

"Ohh…" She nodded slowly, before suddenly leaping up and darting towards the stairs. He made quick chase behind her, using his physical skill to dodge everything she shoved his direction so she could make it up the stairs before him.

Bursting through the oak door, she laughed as she stumbled up the stairs, Sasuke hot on her heals.

They raced up the stairs, both tripping and tumbling to the ground. At one point, Sakura fell completely onto her back, due to Sasuke pulling the carpet from under her and he lunged towards her. Unfortunately, he tripped and to catch his fall, he ended up straddling her in an awkward position in fear of crushing her, his face inches from hers, hands pinning her wrists on either side of her head.

Sasuke had been in this position multiple times before. Of course he had been with girls – when he lived at his uncle's house, but never before had he had this immense constriction in his chest.

She watched his face, studying every detail, and realizing how utterly attractive he was. There was a silence between them, as a blush crept onto both of their faces.

A confidence that Sasuke hadn't felt in a long time built up inside of him. It wasn't like he was low on self esteem, but he was just very modest, and gave undertones of seductive lust, but a boasting confidence wasn't something he was normally big on. Of course, he figured, had he grown up without problem – he would have, found that sometime along the way.

With the burst of non-modest attitude, he suddenly forced his lips onto Sakura's, causing her to go wide-eyed. At first, she didn't struggle. She got the feel of Sasuke's breath, his tongue, and his taste. After a few moments, she shoved him off, causing him to roll over with a wide smirk on his face.

Her face was redder than a tomato, causing him to laugh. "What?"

No words came out of her mouth, but then he noticed a tinge of anger flicker in her eyes. That's when he could no longer tell if it was her being flustered, or her being angry.

"You… Why would you do that?" She shrieked suddenly, causing him to jump.

The thrill of the kiss, and not to mention his one up, on him and Itachi's game was causing him to show emotion – no matter how cocky it was.

"It was just a kiss…"

She suddenly looked away, as though embarrassed and flustered. Something dawned upon Sasuke… He wasn't stupid, it just took him a moment.

"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

"No!" She yelled, her face even redder, if possible, than before.

"Then why are you so angry?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. A pang of guilt sprinkled his being, but he ignored it for the time being.

"Well… It's just… You can't go randomly kissing girls! I mean, what if it was someone's first kiss! It would be wasted on an ass like you!"

Sasuke snorted, but didn't have a comment to make.

"You can't just go around stealing people's first kisses…" She muttered, unfortunately loud enough for him to hear.

"So it _was_!" He accused, pointing a finger at her.

"No!" Her eyes betrayed her, and he could tell that she was lying.

"Well…" He sighed, deciding to try and make light of the conversation.

He knocked his knuckles against the shiny wooden floors, in an attempt to think of what to say. They were beyond the second story, so Itachi couldn't hear them, unless he decided to creep on his younger brother – it didn't surprise him nowadays. "I do deeply apologize…"

"You can't just assume…" She chastised, but soon trailed.

"We'll just pretend it didn't happen, okay?" Sasuke suggested, hoping to win over some prior happiness of the girl.

"You mean… pretend you didn't steal my first kiss?" she questioned skeptically.

"Yup…" He confirmed with a nod. He was determined to make this situation breeze over without her being infuriated. "Sorry for stealing it."

She froze – Uchihas didn't apologize… She had learned that with Itachi a long time ago, "It didn't happen, remember?" She winked, and stood up, stretching her long limbs. "Where do you think Naruto is at this very moment?"

"Still walking to the store… Foolish Dobe…" He shook his head and stood up himself.

"Like a foolish teme…" Her tone dropped to a seductive manner, and he found himself blinking in surprise.

"Wha –"

She put a finger to her lips, purring and calming him down alluringly, "Don't talk…" She leaned in close, backing him against a wall. His breathing picked up slightly, and he could feel his heart beat in his throat. She pushed herself against him, and got really close to his face.

"Pinkie…" He breathed, as her own breath tickled his neck.

Her lips were delicately close to his ear as she murmured, "Gotcha…"

Suddenly the whole moment shattered and she was again ten feet from him, laughing at the joke he didn't seem to process right away. She had tricked him – but now she knew she had a power over him no other girl ever had, even if she didn't realize it yet.

With a blush still on his cheeks, he chuckled along with it, trying to play it off as smooth and cool… But it was then that he realized that Sakura Haruno was a fighter. It was revenge for stealing her first kiss, even if it 'didn't happen'.

Charm worked both ways. That was the lesson Sasuke was going to be preached on a lot over the course of the next few weeks…

?

**A/N: I loved this chapter and I'm officially in love with this story again! :D**

**Please review and let me know what you thought of the first real interaction between the two :D I hope it wasn't rushed, but I know everyone was getting bored with no Sakura/Sasuke juiciness :D**

**-zesty-**


	10. Itachi's Turn

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 10: Itachi's Turn**

It was really winding down now towards the end of the night. Sakura and Sasuke had mostly been on pleasant terms. She had retreated to her 'room' for a while, to simply sit and think, he moving towards the attic she finally agreed not to look in.

Gnawing at his lip, he concentrated more on the painting than what he was doing. The colors molded together like a true masterpiece, and he was actually quite proud of the work. Instead of slightly depressing paintings, the colors were warm and bright, cool colors spread along the right areas, giving amazing accents.

He was carefully considering what had brought on this sudden inspiration, and found that his thoughts kept drifting back to Sakura. Though he still didn't consider her anything, at least he knew she wasn't like those other girls…

Though, maybe that wasn't a good thing…

He was still perfectly aware of his wonderful bet with Itachi and Kisame, and he wasn't about to lose. Sakura was a friend sure, but in the end… No one besides Naruto in this school was worth his time – those were his feelings, and that was the way it was going to stay.

He would be damned if he thought otherwise…

?

Sakura on the other hand, was debating these sudden feelings. Though she knew that relationships took time, and she had only known Sasuke for about three days – she couldn't shake the feeling of some sort of connection. The kiss perhaps? She wasn't sure, and she knew she wasn't in love with him…

She just didn't know why she wasn't as passionate about her hate with him anymore. What was it that made him tick? She wanted to know…

For now, she was wandering down the beautiful oak staircase, taking in the sights to see in the Uchiha mansion. Her eyes glowed and widened, sometimes seeing famous pieces of art, other times hearing an echo that would scare her out of a house that size.

When she finally made it to the living room, she scrunched her face in disgust to see Sasori laying on the floor, a blanket sprawled over him, with two girls on either side of him. Rolling her eyes, she moved around them. Typical Sasori. Such a creep, but strangely, girls are attracted to it. She guessed she would never understand, considering their blood relationship.

Entering the kitchen, she was even more amazed. The room was surely a beauty – any kind of room even non-cooks would want in their house. The counter tops were marble, the shiny, glossy, wooden cabinets a dusty cedar color. The ceiling fan placed tricky shadows across the wall, with the high ceiling and even higher decorated walls and shelves.

The room was gorgeous, and perhaps that's why Sakura seemed like a magnet to metal wanting to be in there. But inside, she found a peculiar sight. Itachi was sitting at the counter, calmly sipping tea. He watched her come in, and let on a small smile.

"Hello Sakura," He greeted serenely. It was in such a way that it made her heart flutter – though nothing accompanied it, so she knew it was just her being flustered.

Though with Sasuke –

Her thoughts were torn away from her as she replied subconsciously, "Hi," she answered simply, plopping down on a chair not too far away from him.

"Would you like some tea? Or anything to eat?" She was about to deny, before her stomach made an ominous noise – She guessed she didn't realize how hungry she was.

He laughed softly before standing, "I'll get you something… Anything in particular?" He questioned kindly.

"No, no," I laughed shyly, embarrassed I was put in this situation – but he understood… Everyone had to eat at some point, "surprise me!" I suggested with a grin.

He only gingerly smiled, before taking a few things out of the cupboard. "How are you enjoying your stay? I hope it's not as bad as you thought it would be…"

"It's surprisingly fun… No offense, I just didn't see myself liking it here…" She trailed, watching him stare at her, "What?"

"Nothing… You just have a deep look on your face, Sakura." The way he said her name made her hair stand on end.

Sakura had no idea she was part of one big plan that both of the two best seducer's in the school were in on… And only them – it wasn't obvious, and yet it should have been at the same time… Itachi and Sasuke – the two brothers after the most oblivious and unlikely person. It didn't fit, but with him staring at her like that, she couldn't concentrate enough to put two and two together.

"I – I guess I'm just thinking about things…" Did she stutter? What? No man ever made Sakura Haruno stutter! Her face became hard as she turned away, "But it's not important…"

"I understand…" And yet the emotion his voice held still made her curious, much like with Sasuke.

She forced a smile, in an attempt to still act normal and polite, but the conversation between the two of them was now forced. She didn't want to be around anymore – it seemed like he was way too interested in what she had to say.

She cleared her throat and glanced at him as he turned away, "I can tell that the conversation is uncomfortable for you… I do apologize." Wow, the guy actually had manners – Sakura had no idea.

"It's okay…" She nodded, though she wasn't sure how much she actually meant that.

"Well – the night is winding down – perhaps I can cook your something, and let you on your way?"

She didn't realize how hungry she was until he mentioned food, "That'd be great!" This time – the smile wasn't forced.

Out of nowhere though, Itachi's time to bond with the item of the challenge was interrupted. Naruto burst through the doors with about six plastic bags, plump full, in each hand.

"Teme, I got what you wanted!" He screamed, seemingly disrupting the whole household. "Oh! Hi Itachi – Hi… Sakura! Hey, I got us some new flavored ramen to try!" He beamed, and the girl laughed, forgetting that her host just offered to cook her food.

She'd take ramen over some fancy stuff she didn't know what it was _any_ day! "Do you want me to go get Sasuke?" She asked pleasantly, and he kind of tilted his head in awe – they must have had a conversation that lead her to be nice.

An idea was brisk over Naruto's mind – perhaps Sasuke could finally find happiness… Someone to care about, and perhaps help fill that void that was everlasting in his life.

"Nah, Teme is probably crabby – he wouldn't be interested in ramen like he never is…" Naruto played stupid at the moment. He would continue being his hyperactive self until he was needed in this match-making process… Then he would calm down and be a little more human.

?

Sakura has happy to see Naruto calm down a little bit. They sat peacefully at the table, Itachi wallowing in self pity at the corner of the kitchen. At least – that's what she swears it looked like – Naruto said he was probably in a bad mood just like Teme.

Truth be told – he was in a bad mood. Naruto had ruined the little moment he was beginning to build, and now he was afraid he wouldn't get another chance on such a perfect night. He had to look on the bright side though – he was probably far further than Sasuke was.

There was a twinge of guilt in his mind. After all Sasori and his family had done for him in the past, almost decade, this is how Itachi repays him? Subduing his younger sister, and using her because of a bet? Then again, he figured Sasori wasn't very close to Sakura… so it probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

That's where Itachi was very, _very_ wrong. Sakura and Sasori were _very_ close – they just didn't enjoy showing it to other people. Usually, they spent their nights together hanging out. He'd help her with homework, she'd help him practice, they'd both fend off their ever-odd parents, and have one hell of a time doing anything else.

On Sakura's end of the thoughts, she hadn't seen Naruto this ecstatic about anything since the first time she heard about Sasuke. That was a _very_ long time ago, and Sakura hadn't paid very much attention to what was going on.

Now, the last few days, he had been nothing but hyper, and though it never got on Sakura's nerves very much, it was nice to spend some time with the Naruto she had grown to love. When he was younger, she couldn't stand him in truth. He was always yelling and never serious about anything. But now, he had become something like a brother to her, and she had become equally protective over him.

For the most part, he put on the hyperactive front now, just because. He had explained to her once the reason – it was more fun than being all serious, though he would be if he had to. He had really grown up, and she liked that a lot.

She looked down and smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"You're thinking, aren't you?" She glanced up to see Naruto grin at her, a ramen noodle on the side of his mouth.

She laughed heartily, "You know me too well, don't you?"

"I guess so…" He scratched his face, touching the noodle, and using his tongue to get it into his mouth. When he saw her stare he shrugged, "You can't waste ramen!"

This caused her to snort, "It's kind of late, Naruto."

"Tired?"

She glanced at a stood brooding Itachi in the corner of the room and decided, "Yeah… Wanna come upstairs with me?" She tilted her head. That was her way of saying 'let's leave the room, someone in it is creeping me out'.

"Sure!" He picked up his bowl and held it in the air, "You don't mind Itachi, right?" Naruto grinned as the older guy shrugged.

He chuckled and raced up the stairs, Sakura close on his heels.

?

Naruto was lucky that he didn't talk about his plan in front of Itachi. Though he didn't know about the dare himself, he knew he was going to have to try his hand at match maker… Sakura was the _only one_ who should know.

"Hey Sakura…"

"Hm?" She asked, brushing out her frazzled hair.

"Why don't you date?"

She froze, and glanced back at him, "What?"

"Like, I'm not meaning it weird or anything!" He snorted, trying to keep cool.

Sasuke was so conveniently coming out of his room at this time. Hearing Naruto, he was about to burst in and bark at him about not buying what he asked (or in other words – coming back to the house), but Sakura's voice stopped him.

"You know why I don't date, Naruto."

"A lot of people, I bet, would date you…"

She laughed lightly, "Not anymore… Not after I became such a wreck!"

"Well… You could get back on your feet you know…"

"And who do you propose I date, Naruto?"

"You could date Sasuke?"

The Uchiha's heart skipped a beat. Did Naruto know about the bet? Or were they having a heart to heart conversation of which he was not suppose to hear about. He was frozen in his tracks, and he could only pray that Itachi didn't decide to venture up the stairs at that moment and blow his cover. He waited anxiously for her answer – _really_ wanting to pound on the door and yell '_hurry up!'_ but he refrained himself.

She let out a low laugh, "Banter is fun with Sasuke… I'll give him that…" She blushed thinking about the kiss – but Naruto missed it, "Actually, he's not as bad as the first impression I got of him. But… Come on Naruto – the similarities between Sasuke and him are just too much…"

"Sasuke's different… I know if he liked you, he would be good to you… Unlike that damn bastard…"

Naruto's strong language caused Sasuke's eyebrows to shoot up. He was honestly curious about Sakura's past now – never thinking about it before. He was too wrapped up in his own memories to think perhaps her life hadn't been all that he thought _everyone's_ life was.

The blonde hardly ever thought sourly of anyone – or at least showed it in that sort of a way. They would have to do something extra bad to him, or worse off, someone he was close to.

This proved how out of the loop on their friendship he was.

"Sure… I suppose if I dated Sasuke… If I liked him, and dated him, as in boyfriend – girlfriend, I would trust him… It's all the skanky whores we go to school with I wouldn't trust… And the fact that he's a lady's man… And the fact that I can't tell when he's pissed off, or just really needs to go to the bathroom. The guy has no readable emotions, and you know I hate that about people!"

"I know you do…" Naruto picked at a scratch on his hand, before rubbing the redness away, and glancing up at her, "You have to give someone a chance sometime Sakura…"

She was silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Not every guy you date is going to be like Sai…"

Sasuke's eyes widened. Sai Takeuchi? _She dated that son of a bitch?_

?

**A/N: Hmm… Revealing a little of Sakura's past :D And ooo, another question about Sasuke's past! The tension is rising :) I'm excited!**

**Please review! :D I'm looking forward to hearing from you!**

**-zesty-**


	11. Disaster and Distractions

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 11: Disaster and Distractions**

Sasuke awoke the next morning with a start. Instead of his daily routine of nightmares, he had a dream of Sakura and Sai the night before.

After he had found out she had been in a relationship with the ink-black haired teenager, Itachi had decided to check on his little brother, causing the younger Uchiha to flee. Sakura had turned out the lights to her room by the time Itachi's presence vanished, and Sasuke settled down to go to sleep himself.

Staring at the ceiling, he wondered if Sasori and Sakura had left yet, or if he might catch a word with the pink haired girl. He wouldn't bring up Sai – he didn't want her to know he had been eavesdropping, but it would be for future references…

Glancing at the clock, he saw it read 11 o'clock. Wow, he must have slept longer than he thought he would have. Sighing, he rolled out of bed and peeked his head into the hallway and glanced down it. The door to the room he placed Sakura in was wide open, and the bed was neatly made.

The Haruno siblings must have already left.

Grumbling something unintelligent about his knack for sleeping when he didn't want to, he flopped back into bed and drifted asleep once more. The stress of living with people his own age, and seeing his brother again was too much boring down on him.

?

The week passed ever so boringly. There were moments that Sasuke got to have a conversation with Sakura, and the same with Itachi and the pinkette. Unfortunately, nothing major happened, and both of their advances went majorly unnoticed by the girl.

It was only when Ino announced she was going to host a party, when both of the siblings thought they had their chance.

Sasuke glared at the mirror, wondering exactly what he was going to wear. He had never been to a party before, and couldn't quite pin-point what might attract Sakura to him.

Naruto was gibbering in the background, already dressed in a grey button down shirt with a purple tie, and khaki colored pants.

That was the thing with Ino's parties. They were formal, yet still like a party – everyone loved them, and anyone who was invited was truly honored to go. Those who snuck in were _very_ lucky they weren't caught by the security Ino dazzled into guarding the boarders to her property.

Eventually, he settled on a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, complete with a loose black tie. He slid into black skinny jeans, and shoved his feet into black low top converse. Naruto grinned his signature foxy grin.

"You look hot teme!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but hoped that Naruto knew what he was talking about. They left before Itachi and Kisame, and would hopefully arrive before hand as well.

Sasuke slipped into his car and pulled out carefully, in an attempt to be silent. He didn't want his older brother to know he had already left. They had silently agreed that tonight would be a definite competition night – tonight, they were more enemies than they had been since they were seven and nine.

Tonight, Sasuke would get the one up on Itachi…

?

"Ino…"

Ino turned and squealed. Her long blonde hair was wavy, and pinned up, looking extravagant and impossible, when really, all Sakura did was put bobby pins in random places. Her makeup was light – silver eye shadow with dark eyeliner, outlining her perfectly turquoise eyes, with a dark pink shade of lip stick, complete with shiny gloss – that was it… Less than what half of their school wore on a daily basis.

"You look _adorable!_ Sakura, seriously, you're beautiful!" She gasped, eyes wide with a simple bliss.

Sakura was dressed in a black dress stopping mid thigh. A satin (or silk – she couldn't tell) strip of fabric went around the middle and tied in a cute bow in the back. The straps were off the shoulder, and the sweetheart cut at the top of the shirt was lined with about an inch of pink cloth, thin straps resting on top of her shoulders to hold the dress up. She completed the outfit with pink heels that had a cute little bow, and her frizzy hair was smoothed out and also pinned up. Her eyes were lined, much like Ino's so that her eyes boldly stood out, with a cute, pink shade of lip stick. Her make up was even more modest.

"You really think so?" She questioned, glancing at herself in the mirror, "It just doesn't seem like my thing anymore…"

"You'll have guys eating out of the palm of your hand!" She thought about both Sasuke and Itachi – thinking about how they had been attempting to strike up a conversation with her all week, and almost blushed. She somehow contained herself – knowing Ino would notice.

Itachi had never really talked to Sakura before. Sure, they had their moments, but he really honestly didn't make an attempt. One time he sent her flowers – but considering the tall, pretty blonde sitting next to her – she figured that he sent them to the wrong seat.

And Sasuke – he was hypocritically stereotyping her with the bimbo girls they went to school with, but all of a sudden had done a completely one-eighty degree spin on his attitude towards her. In other words – she pretended that it was a daily routine, and tried not to notice when they were being extra nice.

It was as though the Uchihas were gaining up on her. Then again, perhaps she was just being paranoid.

Honestly, what interested her at the moment was the knowledge she possessed about Shikamaru that Ino had yet to figure out. It was going to come out tonight – that was one of the only reasons she had agreed to go to this party.

Nothing else but her best friend's future relationship mattered tonight… And despite what Ino said, she was certain she wouldn't have one guy fighting over her – she liked it better being in the shadows.

?

Most of the people had already entered the party by the time Ino arrived with Sakura close behind her. People stopped to stare at the gorgeous blonde sophomore who's daddy was rich, and had guys bowing at her feet all the time. The philosophy with Ino was: the older she gets, the prettier and richer she'll be.

The pink haired beauty behind her also caught a few people's attention. She was shy, her eyes not meeting those who stared at her, but Sasuke, standing with a drink in his hand (just to make him look like he was drinking something) caught sight of her and had to blink a few times to see if he had it right.

The times he had seen Sakura she had been in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt or a long-sleeved shirt. Now she was in a gorgeous, slim fitting black dress with pink heels that made her look all the slimmer. He thought she was pretty then – but seeing her dressed up, her frizzy hair pinned to her head beautifully – she was definitely rivaling Ino at the moment.

He made his way towards her, but suddenly, something came into his line of sight.

"Sasuke!" A puff of red hair all piled atop one head shot before his eyes. The tall, slender girl hardly had the clothes to cover herself up.

"Karin…" He stated, knowing the girl now from all of the encounters he'd had with her since the very day they met in algebra II. She decided to move herself against him, her loose fitting shirt (covering a little less than a sports bra) and skirt (covering a little more than a thick belt) rubbing against his own clothing.

"Do you like my outfit, Sasuke?" She purred at him, "It started as a dress, but it looks so much cuter now – I made it myself!"

'Yeah…" He replied absent mindedly, side stepping her. To his dismay, the object of his mission vanished. Luckily, he was still able to slide past Karin while she was distracted with Shikamaru in his outfit of the evening.

Sasuke scanned the place, intending on making a little impression before he tried to mingle with others. He began to fume when he saw Itachi already sporting a conversation with the girl, a smirk playing across his features.

She looked distracted though, almost waving off their conversation. Itachi didn't seem to notice, but he must have prompted a question from her that caught her attention, because her eyebrows shot up and her cheeks turned slightly pink.

Sakura Haruno – the fighter… Currently flustered by his big brother… Yeah, way to one up him, Sasuke.

He watched in horror as Sakura was escorted out into a little bit more of an open area where she began to dance with Itachi. Miraculously (though not for him) a slow song began to play, and he pulled her close to slow dance with him.

Sasuke had to do something quick! Glancing around, he pulled a random girl onto her feet, a gasp puffing into his face as he twirled her out onto the 'dance floor'. Sasuke had to give the flawless skinned, long haired brunette props. His dancing wasn't very graceful, but she seemed to float around with him anyways.

They gradually got closer to the couple dancing, and suddenly, Sasuke spun the girl and a smirk tugged at his lips.

"May I cut in?" He asked Sakura. He thought he caught a glance from Itachi, who now had the brunette in his arms.

Oh man – the poor girl must have had a heart attack; dancing with the two best looking guys in the school was such a story to tell on Monday.

"You clean up pretty nice…" She noticed, glancing at his attire.

He grinned at her, "So do you… I didn't think there was a shape on that body of yours…" She glared at him, though he knew somewhere in her mind, she took it as a compliment saying she looked pretty.

She was a surprise. Graceful and cunning, she moved with poise he knew he might never acquire. "Where'd you learn to dance?"

"Oh, I've picked it up over the years… My parents had a lot of formal events to go to. I've been dancing like this since I was little."

"You were blessed with good grace then, hm?"

"I guess you could call it that," she replied with a grin.

All of the talking and trying to be civil with others was truly wearing Sasuke out. They danced on in silence as he thought about the kind of situation he was in. Unfortunately, the song ended and Sakura caught sight of someone with black hair and a pony tail.

She thanked Sasuke politely – almost as though it were forced – and quickly maneuvered around people to get to the side of the room and disappear into the room. Sasuke was angry – did she just ditch him for his brother?

?

"Sakura…" He sighed, "I'm nervous."

"I promise if you just make the move, she's going to love you! I know Ino!" Shikamaru ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you?"

"Don't change the subject… Besides – I was dancing!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "With who?"

"Don't change the subject I said!" She grinned at him.

"Where you dancing with that Uchiha kid?"

"So what if I was?" She asked defensively.

"Be careful, Sakura…"

"About what?" The high pitched voice made both of them whip around.

'Ino!" She cried out, "I was just leaving…" She smiled brightly and winked at Shikamaru, and once behind Ino's back, slammed a fist into her other hand, signaling to him to make the move or take a pounding.

Her threats were not something to be taken lightly.

She slipped back out into the party only to come face to face with Itachi.

"Hello, Sakura."

Somehow he still managed to make his voice low and sexy when music was blaring so loud she had to yell for anyone to hear her. "Hi!" She replied to him, not knowing what else to say. The brothers' persistent attitude of getting a word with her was slightly beginning to creep her out.

"Sorry our dance was interrupted…"

"That's okay! I enjoyed dancing with Sasuke… I guess…" She thought about it, trying to remember all the details about it, even though it happened only a few minutes ago.

Suddenly Kisame (who she had only known as Tuna boy from her brother) appeared and grinned, his pointed teeth glinting in the dim lighting.

"Well Ms. Haruno, hello…"

That was enough to weird her out for sure. She waved at both of them before turning around and slipping out. Parties were not her forte, and she didn't like being out of her comfort zone.

"What do you want, Kisame?" Itachi asked, tilting his head.

"I just wanted to observe how you both are doing… You know – Sasuke probably has a lead on you."

"No…" Itachi shook his head.

"You can't see that she looks uncomfortable talking to you?"

Itachi shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know – I guess I didn't really notice."

"Put your heart into this Itachi… You may want to get on Sasuke's good side again, but dammit Uchiha – you're going to ruin your reputation… And it's quite a thing to with hold."

"I'm a senior, it doesn't really ma –"

"You want to go out with a bang right? Get in there and use your Uchiha charm – your brother seems to be using it."

That line caused a gut wrenching feeling to form in Itachi's stomach. Damn Kisame and the fact that he was indeed right. He couldn't help but feel, despite it was just Sasuke trying to get ahead of his brother for the first time in their lives, that Sasuke hadn't been happier than this in a long time…

That got him wondering…

What was more important? A dumb bet, or his brother being truly happy for once? 

?

"You're out here all by yourself?" The concern in his voice truly touched the pink haired girl.

"I just needed to breathe!" She laughed, trying to blow it off as nothing.

"I know you, Sakura…" He smiled fondly, "Even if you aren't used to parties like this."

"That might just be it, Naruto," There was another meaning to her words, but Naruto didn't want to push what it was – he certainly couldn't figure it out for himself… The girl's feelings were becoming much more complicated with everything, and he could tell.

"What have you done so far?" He questioned, tilting his head.

"Sasuke danced with me…" She hesitantly told him.

His eyebrows shot up with a look of surprise as his hand slid off of the stone balcony railing. "Whoa…"

She shuffled her feet on the grey stone. "Yeah…" He knew not to push the subject, and she would find her own words for it in a moment. The breeze was a little chilly, but nothing out of the ordinary. She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced at the boy.

Her green eyes pierced confusion into his sapphire ones, "What do I do, Naruto?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, loosening his purple tie slightly.

She smiled for a moment, fixing it slightly, before replacing her hand on her cool skin. "I don't know… I feel like there's something weird to both Itachi and Sasuke going to such an effort… and yet, I can't help but feel like I kind of want the attention… at least from one of them."

Naruto grinned, "You're learning to trust people again, Sakura… It's not so bad."

"I wanted to hate Sasuke… And I wanted my terms with Itachi to just stay as they were – he not really noticing I was there… Why does it seem so hard to disappear in the dark now?"

"You were never meant to be placed in the dark, Sakura…" Naruto shook his head and leaned forward on the rail, crossing his feet at the ankles while watching the stars twinkle above them.

She rubbed her temples, "What if things turned out the same as they did with Sai?" She asked, tilting her head.

Naruto sighed, thinking back on the awful memories.

It had been a very normal relationship to start, but things had just gotten worse from then on… Unfortunately, Sakura was oblivious and love-sick, and she didn't see it until she was literally knocked out of the relationship.

That's what had made Naruto and her closer… Sure, they had been friends, they truly grew close when he had stepped in.

?

**A/N: This was **_**not **_**where I planned on stopping but it's much too crowded with the flashback :) you get a peek of Sakura's past next chapter! I hope you're excited! :D Sorry – I know that chapter was really lame… It'll get better I promise – I'm really lame at parties… Sakura and Sasuke are at that awkward stage right now!**

**It does reveal important information about Itachi though! Hopefully you all caught it :D**

**Please review!**

**-zesty-**


	12. Friends

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Nor do I own most of what the revenge plan on Sai is… That goes to the proud author of **_**Time Traveler's Wife.**_** :)**

**Chapter 12: Friends**

"_Sakura, it _is_ my birthday, and though I really appreciate that you bought me such a nice gift, it's not enough."_

_She looked up, her stunning emerald eyes shining with confusion and sorrow… She had tried so hard. She _begged_ her mother and Sasori to allow her to buy Sai an Ipod, and yet it still wasn't good enough? What was a new fifteen year old to do. He turned seventeen today, and they had gone out for dinner._

_The two had been dating for one month – actually to the day. He marched right up to her and said I want you as an early birthday present. Her and Ino that night, had squealed and giggled for _hours_ before finally falling asleep._

"_What do you mean?" She questioned, biting her lip. It was the middle of November – a light layer of snow on the ground, and very cold temperatures._

"_I want you, Sakura…" He was a sophomore – that was to be expected, wasn't it? It wasn't so bad, right?_

_When the girl, after a prompt of a kiss and his hand on her inner thigh, her face blew up in red and pink hues after realizing what he meant. "Sai…" She breathed out, not knowing how to object._

_She hadn't even noticed when they were in the woods. A cute little place – a small cabin that most teenagers went to have sex that no one would find them. Sai had picked up the key from a friend of his._

"_Come on…" He opened the door and pulled her out, and she was still too shocked to do anything about it. Upon getting inside, he immediately pinned her to the wall and began to make out with her._

"_Sai…" She turned her head to break away from him, but couldn't meet his eyes again; it was taking a lot of courage to do this, "I'm not ready…"_

_He didn't unpin her from the wall for several long moments where she felt as though she could cry. The look on his face was full of disgust. "You were never worth a month of my time…"_

"_What?" She gaped like a fish._

_He shoved her into the wall, causing her to stumble and fall into her hands and knees. He yanked her up and shook her, "Don't act like a retard," she could feel the finger bruises forming on her shoulders – true terror kept her from showing much emotion._

_He slapped her across the face, and pounded his fist on her back. She cried out and tried to shield herself. "You were never good enough for me… this just proves it…" He yanked her up by the hair and she prayed, with tears leaking down her cheeks, that he would just take her home._

_He dragged her outside and shoved her down in to the snow, causing her dress to get snow and moist dirt all over it. She glanced up at him, still stunned and hurt and scared as he got into his car and drove off._

_Not knowing where she was, or having a jacket or cell phone – the cabin being locked again, Sai leaving with the key, she stayed put, crying and unable to move._

_Her back was sore, her face, she could fell, was swollen, and her lips were chapped – but that was all overcome by the constant shiver that wracked her being. She was _cold_._

_?_

_Naruto was whistling a happy tune. He hummed merrily as he picked up some durable pens for Jiraiya. The man promised loads of ramen if Naruto went out in the cold and didn't complain – so therefore, here the blonde was._

_A few people chuckled at him – all juniors and seniors, except one random sophomore. The stupid Naruto freshman. Most of them hated him… "Faggot…" One mumbled in his direction for humming Christmas music in his mind._

_He glanced towards them, but didn't say much. He chose not to let the names get to him. He paid of the pens, but listened in on the teenagers' newly started conversation._

"_Weren't you supposed to go out with that Sakura chick tonight? Dude she's fuckin' hot!"_

"_Yeah, I already did…" Sai snorted, though his emotion sounded off, "she wouldn't go for it." He spoke flipping the key back at his friend, "Left her out in the woods a few hours ago… Little whore doesn't know where she is…"_

_Naruto almost dropped his bag. He stared at the guys, his mouth hanging open like an idiot._

"_What the hell is your problem, kid?" Another guy barked._

_Naruto shoved the pens into his pocket, and walked right up to Sai, staring at him. They were not even _close_ to the same height, and here he was, sizing the ink colored hair teen up._

_A punch was aimed at Naruto but he was swift, and brought his foot up into the pale sophomore's groin. A groan escaped his throat as his eyes bulged a little. The other guys watched Naruto in unbelievable bewilderment – they couldn't believe the fury the blonde just displayed._

"_Where the fuck is she?" He turned to the guy who had the key in his hand, and yanked him down to his height, "Where?"_

"_Take Old Hank's road, and turn at the second right… You'll pull up to a dirt path and the cabin is just about a mile up it!"_

"_Give me your keys…" He punched the guy in the gut and abducted his keys, sprinting out to the parking lot and setting off the car alarm quicker than they could chase him._

_He slid behind the wheel not knowing what the hell he was doing – but then again when did he ever? He floored it and quickly made his way towards Old Hank's._

_?_

_Sakura could barely keep her eyes open. She could swear she was going to die of the cold when she heard a car. Seeing lights, she was sure she was dying and tears continued to leak down her cheeks. Some stumbled onto the leaves, crunching beside her. A warm hand touched her skin – that felt amazing, though her pale flesh stung under the much warmer contact._

_She was picked up and put in the back seat of a car with blankets. Blacking out, she didn't remember anything until she woke up the next day, feeling like she had the worst cold in the world._

_Sasori was sitting by her bed, along with Naruto – who most people didn't particularly like…_

"_Sakura?" The blonde asked as she came to._

"_What am I –" She paused and put a hand to her cheek. It was swollen – enough to notice anyways… and her back ached._

"_What happened?"_

_A look of anger flashed across Naruto's eyes and he excused himself from the room._

"_Don't ever think of dating Sai again, okay?"_

"_Oh my god…" She began to cry knowing exactly what had happened. He hugged his younger sister._

_They stayed like that for a while, her room the most welcoming thing that had ever happened to her. He stroked her hair, and held her hand, and for a moment, she saw the Sasori who wasn't wrapped up in his friends, and who still made time for her in the day._

_That definitely changed their relationship. Their close bond was knit back together again, and _everyone_ gained a lot more respect for their girlfriends, among Sakura herself._

_But the true hero of the story was Naruto…_

_?_

"_Sasori… I need a favor…" He boldly walked up to the Akatsuki team on Monday at lunch._

_Everyone raised their eyebrow – wondering why the pesky ramen loving kid was actually talking to them._

"_Yes?" He couldn't be mean though – Naruto had ultimately saved Sakura's life._

"_You see?" He pointed to Sai laughing it up with his friends on the other side of the lunch room, "I want revenge… I invite you all to help. If you don't, then I guess it's just me alone…"_

_No one bit, and Naruto walked away, though not dejected. They were interested in what he was going to do…_

…

_The next day, lunch was winding to a close, when finally a message came over the loud speaker. It was Naruto._

"_Attention all students: If you want the biggest laugh of your life – please report to the gym… I repeat, please report to the – hey! Get away from me Tsunade! Ahhh! That's my eye! For the love of ramen stop _hitting me with your heels!_"_

_Immediately all the kids, whether it be from classes, study halls, free periods, or lunches rose. They wouldn't want to miss out on some good entertainment… Maybe Naruto would be humiliated in front of all at the gym, just for Principal Tsunade to get a good laugh._

_What they saw though, was something far funnier._

_Ino stood, though not at all embarrassed, with a tight fitting white shirt, no bra on, and a cute mini skirt, stroking the stomach of Sai. Everyone burst into laughs._

_(Sai seems very OOC – I just need him to be… He'll go back to his emotionless self sometime later in the story… Well maybe a bit cocky – but I can kind of see him like that… Please don't be mad, I needed someone who wasn't an OC)_

_Ino stood with a scissors in her hand, Sai's clothing cut off, and he was duct taped to the basket ball hoop. Ino served as the perky breasted darling causing him to have an erection in front of everyone._

_Pictures were taken, videos were taken, and anyone who had heard of what Sai had done began to applaud._

_People respected Naruto from then on, and Sai transferred schools… Sakura hadn't dated anyone ever since, and Sasori, Kisame, Itachi, and the others from the Akatsuki team learned to trust Naruto when he said he had a plan…_

_?_

"Sakura, nothing could happen worse than that…" He watched her as her eyes glanced towards the sky as well.

"Maybe…" She nodded, and leaned on the railing along with him.

"Maybe you should just give someone a chance?"

"Not just anyone though…" she noted, and he nodded hastily.

"I know I sound like… a preacher –" He grinned at a joke she didn't understand, "But…" He grinned, "You're causing Teme to be awful nice – he bought me ramen today!" His wisdom was shattered with the comment, but it caused her to laugh anyways.

She shook her head, thinking about it. Perhaps she would have to have a talk with Ino…

?

The party was dwindling down, and unfortunately neither of the two Uchihas saw Sakura for most of the night. It wasn't until Sasuke was getting ready to leave that he saw her, and wondered over.

"Hey Mister Uchiha…" She grinned at him, "Where did you go all night?" She winked, gesturing to a fawning Karin standing twenty feet away.

'Hn…" He shoved his hands into his pockets. The dare was draining his energy – he didn't like being a social person…

?

_Sasuke was almost seven. He had been living with his uncle for a good five months, and no one could get him to say a word._

_He was still very upset. He would wake up screaming and sweating every single night, and his uncle eventually moved his room across the hall from Sasuke's so that he could be there to hug him when he woke up in the middle of the night. Slowly, Sasuke lapsed into himself – not wanting to be around people._

_On this particular day, it was hot outside. The sun scorched down and the damn annoying tree frogs croaked from trees that were at least a mile away (in Sasuke's short little world). He sat outside, attempting to read a book._

_The dock just down his uncle's property about a football field length away was filled with two men. His uncle, and his uncles best friend. The man was a pervert. Often Sasuke found magazines in the man's bag with pictures of naked women – he never opened a magazine after the first one, but he just knew… That was one thing his dad had always told him… Uchihas always just _know_._

_He had long silver hair tied back in a pony tail, and sometimes wore the oddest of clothing. His name was Jiriaya. Every other weekend that Itachi wasn't there, or that his uncle was home with him, this pervert came up to fish with his uncle._

_Sasuke had his suspicions that the man came up for the talks that had them both laughing like Santa Clause – loud and obnoxious – that were probably about things way over Sasuke's head that kept the man coming up… he hardly ever caught anything._

_This particular reason was the first reason the pervert brought someone with him… A young blonde boy who Sasuke heard was named Naruto. He was a hyper being, and Sasuke tried to avert him and pretend he wasn't there._

_It worked for a while, until the blonde found him hiding in the back yard._

"_Hi!" He bounded over and stuck out his hand for Sasuke to shake._

_The raven haired boy glanced at his hand, and then to the blonde's slightly tanned face, and back down at his hand. His face showed no emotion except for the 'what the hell' look._

_The blonde retracted his hand, "That's okay! Jiraiya says that sometimes people have weird germs that get into their system and make them die! He calls them STD's when he's been drinking – but he'll never answer me on what they are. So I just assume when no one wants to shake my hand, it means I have them. I bet they're a cootie! Don't you think so?"_

_For the first time in his short life, Sasuke was perplexed. Was this child dropped on his head as a baby._

"_I heard your name is Sasuke, well I'm Naruto! But I guess you probably know that too… Jiraiya tells me that you guys talk about me all the time. Probably about how great I am…" He laughed to himself. He was trying to make a big effort, "Hey – I have a ball! Want to play?"_

_To get the boy to shut up, Sasuke shook his head, already feeling annoyed with his presence. Instead of the sapphire eyed boy fleeing, he stood right next to Sasuke, and threw his tennis ball at the wall. It made a thumping noise when it hit the wall, one thumping noise when it bounced on the stone patio, and one thump when it hit his hand._

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

_The breeze moved the grass, and those stupid tree frogs began croaking again in those 'non existent' trees._

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

_Sasuke heard the two men down at the dock beginning to laugh, and Jiraiya yelled something about a beautiful brunette who was so _perky_… He wondered only vaguely what he meant by perky…_

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

_Sasuke's forehead developed a crease in it. His annoyance level was being tested, and this idiotic kid was doing a good job at almost making him bubble over his limit._

Thump…

Thu –

_Sasuke stuck his hand out finally after the repeated process. He stood there glaring around the world, a vein almost popping in his tempe, before he simply extended his arm and caught the ball in front of the blonde._

_In a fit of tiny rage, he chuckled the ball as far as he could. It went far beyond the yard, and plunked into the water, bobbing for a moment, going unnoticed to the men sitting not too far away on the dock._

_He turned, glaring and breathing heavy from the sudden rush of irritation to the blonde._

_He grinned and stuck out his hand, "Hi… I'm Naruto…"_

_Sasuke screamed in frustration, and shoved the boy away, "You're so annoying! Go away!"_

_Sasuke's uncle glanced back in true admiration and the adults talked astonished among themselves for several minutes. He hoped that Naruto was irritated enough to leave, but unfortunately that wasn't the case._

"_Well jeez… You don't have to be crabby about it…" he giggled a childish little laugh, "You and me… we're gonna be best friends!"_

_?_

Then again, he had tried with Naruto… And now he figured if he hadn't had the blonde – he would have never made it through a decade of his life.

Maybe if he tried with Sakura, like he had tried doing the past week without a lot of outcome, he could win this bet…!

Though when he smirked and escorted Sakura out of Ino's house, and offered to give her a ride home – the bet wasn't even in his mind.

?

**A/N: It was more a cute chapter on flashbacks :) Oh my god! I LOVE the way Naruto and Sasuke met! It seems so like Naruto when he was six! So cute! Squeeeee! :D Anyways – I hope you all enjoyed!**

**There will still be banter with Sakura and Sasuke, don't worry, okay? :) they aren't gonna be all lovey dovey – Itachi is still in the bet… Lol after all, it's not quite close to prom yet :) they still have loads of time lolol!**

**I hope you enjoyed! Please review!**

**-zesty-**


	13. A Sudden Challenge

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: Sakura and Sasuke have gone soft! They are officially going to stop being OOC! It's annoying when he's not an ass and she's not kick ass… lol :) Please forgive their personality absence :D**

**Oh... By the way... I'm really sad that I only got 2 reviews... Does that mean there's something wrong with this story that people don't like - is that why no one is reviewing? That's why it took me so long to update because I was very sad. Remember to review, and they'll come faster!  
**

**Chapter 13: A Sudden Challenge**

"So are you excited?"

"Are you kidding?" She gasped, "I haven't been this anxious for something in a _very_ long time!" A broad smile spread across her face like peanut butter on toast.

She was currently skipping, while her best friend walked next to her, smiling and laughing, her long blonde hair still wavy from the night before, bobbing as she moseyed along the side walk.

"What is it that I'll be doing exactly?"

"Pig, you know this is for a fundraiser…" She held up her giant paint brush and bucket of paint, "We're painting that mural, and you're going to help!"

She nodded, "Well, I knew that, Billboard, but what I want to know is what _exactly_ I'll be doing… I'm no good at painting!"

"You're going to be drawing in the flowers…" She beamed at the blonde, "You'll draw them in with a thin paintbrush or pencil if you really want to, and then we'll paint the rest…"

"I hope you know the flowers might not turn out the best…" The girl warned her.

This caused Sakura to snort, "Ino-Pig, you're the only person in the world I know who spends over two hours around flowers a day… If you can tell us how they look, even with an outline, it'll look so much prettier!"

She rolled her eyes, "Who's going to help you with the sky? How many people know how to do that?"

The pinkette's smile faltered for a moment, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"What are you going to do?" The girl seemed to be just _filled_ with questions today.

"Well… I'm going to paint the people…"

"Christ… How much is going to be on this mural of yours?" She questioned, tilting her head.

As they walked along the path, they could already smell the paint, wafting down the sidewalk from a block and a half away. Lots of people were already there, and hopefully, they'd make a big indent… It was Sunday, and they didn't have much time to finish. They could have spent all day yesterday working on it – something Sakura would have liked to do very much… But Ino decided to have her stupid party.

"It's going to be beautiful – even you'll have to admit it, Ino."

"Oookay!" She smirked, and ran ahead. Shikamaru was peaking around the body of Choji, who stood staring at the wall, contemplating if he should quick grab some snacks for everyone else – they might get mad that he wouldn't share.

Sakura smiled lightly – he had almost done it last night, and for that reason she wasn't mad at him. The whole plan was to get Ino alone, and confess his love for her, so they could kiss and do whatever else Ino and Shikamaru would do… But it didn't go quite that way.

It seemed, that Sakura was later informed, that Shikamaru was just about to tell her, before she turned and caught sight of Rinji (the guy from the cabin). She squealed and slightly deafened Shikamaru before leaping into the brunette's arms, while he took her to dance. Nothing became of it, luckily… He announced to her later that night that he just got engaged, and though Sakura had to talk to Ino on the phone, listening to her sobs the whole night, she was fine by the next morning.

"What a drag…" Was all Shikamaru said, letting out his puff of air that would have helped form the ever-important words of their odd relationship, and when he was told that Ino had been bawling her eyes out, he shook his head sighing, pulling on a shirt and grabbing his keys – planning to comfort her, "Troublesome…"

"Sakura! I brought you these!" Choji shoved a basket of rice balls into her hands, "For you and Ino! It's your share of the food today!"

"It's so much…" She turned to Ino who nodded in confusion, "There's two of –"

She turned to see Choji piling them up in his arms, "So then can I take some?" He bit into one.

"You were going to do that in the first place!" Sakura boomed, punching him down on the head, the rice balls falling and splotching the sidewalk.

"Ow…" Was his squeak of a reply as Sakura smiled and moved to look at what the others had already began brainstorming.

"Hi…" Shikamaru started lamely at Ino.

"Hi…" She smiled back at him.

He sighed, reverting to his normal bored expression, "So troublesome…" He mumbled, but before she had time to ask what, he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Ino had always predicted he would never make a move, but that was the biggest show of affection Shikamaru had ever displayed. Their relationship was an unspoken attraction, dating but not, in love, but not public… They cared about each other and such, but never _ever_ did either of them make it official – though they would never cheat on each other in return.

That's how both of them always envisioned their relationship – that's why it was established so early.

"Okay!" Sakura called out chipperly. "Is everyone ready to get started? I'm really excited, and thanks for everyone's support!" Her smile grew wider with every second – she was being strangely nice… everyone assumed it was because she was excited.

"What a drag, let's just get started…" Shikamaru spoke in a bored tone, and Sakura received no support from Ino to tell him to be nice. Sighing, she agreed, and everyone got to work penciling in what they were going to paint.

Luckily, the mural wasn't on a brick wall, so they could actually see what they were drawing. Sakura immediately got to work on the people, and she was hoping it would look as wonderful as she envisioned it in her mind.

?

Naruto and Sasuke walked miserably down the street. The former had really wanted to spend the day exploring the latter's house, but due to another attempted interrogation by Itachi earlier that morning, the raven answered with an 'absolutely not!' The failed attempt left the blonde depressed.

So there they were, walking down the street. Sasuke had left the house with Naruto so early that he didn't even have time to abduct his car from the garage.

The ever-watchful Sasuke caught something in the corner of his eye as they were turning. Was that pink hair? He stopped and backed up, causing Naruto to glance at him in question.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?"

"Hn…" He replied in his usual tone, but abandoned the blonde and began down the street towards the small group of peers.

Naruto picked up his pace to follow.

As the supposed emo teenager moved towards the group of people, he began hearing laughter and conversations light and airy, and for once, no one turned to glance in his direction out of jealousy or awe.

He currently saw Sakura and Ino throwing paint at each other. Who knew the blonde could get down and dirty? Long strips of pink, purple, and green littered her hair and clothing, but the smile she held on her features never once faltered. Choji was trying to clean off a rice ball he dropped in the paint on the side walk, Shikamaru only shaking his head and calling him troublesome – though he was grinning while saying so. Kiba and his puppy Akamaru attempted to get Hinata to laugh by flicking paint at cars driving past them.

They looked like a tightly knit group of friends, and suddenly a pang of jealousy erupted in Sasuke's chest. Of course, it didn't last long. Finally someone saw his approach, and heard Naruto not close behind, and the chaos began to settle so they could welcome their visitor.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up in disguise.

"Wow! It's a party now!" Ever outgoing Tenten grinned, welcoming him almost instantly into their presence.

Sakura saw him and smiled, though he couldn't tell if it was delight at seeing him, or simply because she still wasn't over her scuffle with Ino and the paint war.

The two boys peered at the wall behind them, and saw sketches that didn't seem to make sense. In the bottom left of the wall, Sakura and Ino had been steadily filling in the flowers – looking beautiful and practically realistic on the two dimensional wall. Kiba and Hinata had already put in several trees on the other side of the wall, and Shikamaru and Choji were working in the grass. The top was amazingly empty, which slightly confused the newcomers.

"What's all this?" Naruto asked the question swimming in the raven haired boy's mind.

"A fundraiser for school," Sakura beamed, "The business was really excited when we asked them about doing one!"

"Where's the sky?" Sasuke's artistic side couldn't help but shining through in his authoritive tone.

"Ahh err…" She trailed, almost as though she were embarrassed.

"Sakura is really the only painter here…" Ino chirped.

"And she's not really one for landscapes much," Choji took over from Ino, who glanced at him and rolled her eyes for at him for stealing her spotlight talking to the gorgeous male, "So we're saving the sky for last because no one really knows how to make it as good as the rest of the mural." There were occasional pauses in his words, and a few grunts – he was in the middle of eating a bag of chips.

The raven took a tentative step forward and looked at what all he might possibly have to work with, "What color is it going to be?"

Kiba pulled out the bucket and pulled off the lid. It showed a royal blue color that had Sasuke shaking his head. "That's going to dry way too dark…" He advised them against it, and to use the color sitting next to it, already opened, being used on a blue jay. "Switch the bird and sky's colors."

Everyone was rather stunned, and Sakura, in her now-competitive state, spoke up, "How would you know, Uchiha?" She huffed, obviously irritated he wasn't just algebra he knew more about than her.

"You want someone who could do the sky?" He questioned, ignoring her altogether.

"Teme, you paint?" Naruto gasped, his head craning to an awkward angle as if it would help him get a better glance at his best friend.

Again, he ignored the question and stepped forward, gingerly taking a paintbrush, and dipping it into the sky blue color.

Everyone watched in amazement as he began to stroke up the first waves of color – the azure color shimmering and life like – it matched the sky behind it almost disturbingly well.

Sakura's brow creased, "Alright Uchiha, show us what you can do…" Raising her nose, she went back to her flower, a spirited, serious aura beginning to solidify around her.

?

At first, things started with everyone still laughing and joking, occasionally having the two partake in the chatter. Soon, the people who weren't doing much were pushed to the side in order to allow Sakura and Sasuke more places to show off their talent.

And now, six hours later, when the day was drawing in, growing colder and colder by the passing intervals of ten minutes, they were the only two working on it.

Everyone else sat on the sidewalk, eyes wide, jaws dropped slightly in awe, watching the two work quickly and expertly. It was almost as though they had captured a scene that had happened in real life, snapping a photograph of it, and blowing it up to fit on the wall.

The silence was still as the two stepped back. There were only a few things left to do, but for their speed – one would call it 'finishing touches'. People's clothing still needed detail and texture, and the sky still needed clouds. The shadows needed to be filled in correctly, and a few of Ino's flowers needed leaves. Hinata glanced worriedly at her phone.

Though each watched in anticipation, the small voice of the slightly younger girl pin-poked through the hushed bubble around the group. "I hate to have to leave, but it's nine o'clock, and I was supposed to be home to eat dinner." That caused Choji to get up and almost physically run – he was two hours late for dinner and he was starving!

Tenten and Kiba immediately jumped up, knowing they were going to be in trouble if they didn't _run_ home. Shikamaru reluctantly got up, pulling Ino with him. He mumbled something about his mom having a fit when he got home, equivalent to a heart-attack (if they could be violent on other people) and Ino giggled, following him, waving good-bye to her pink haired friend.

The only three left then were Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, but the blonde, seeing an opening for the two to 'broaden their horizon' quickly excused himself, conjuring some lame excuse about a curfew, the farm, and Jiraiya's punishment.

The two stood chuckling about the story of Naruto hitting the cow for a moment, before Sakura asked if he'd like to continue working on it. Both of them borrowed flashlights from the man inside the business, and he was even courteous enough to put a few lights outside for them to use as well.

The teens worked mostly in silence, though every so often, Sasuke would sneak glances at the girl. She delved into her work, beautiful emerald eyes wide with exhilaration and happiness. Her hand, looking delicate, but strong, held a very firm grip – she didn't shake at all as she put the finishing touches on the people.

On the other hand, Sakura took peeks at the boy too. His eyes held more life in them when he was painting than she had ever noticed before, and he seemed at ease with his inner turmoil – though she had no idea what that conflict consisted of.

"Hey Sasuke?" She asked, not exactly sure why she spoke up, dispelling their peaceful silence.

"Hm?" He didn't speak, simply made the noise in his mouth – his concentration wasn't to be interrupted.

"What's the real reason you went to live with your uncle?" She questioned, tilting her head.

He paused for a moment, and finally peeled his eyes away from his project. "You really want to know?" She nodded without hesitation.

He figured that since he was trying to win the girl over, perhaps spilling the truth would work to his advantage.

"When I was seven and Itachi was nine, he went for a sleep over at a friend's house. I don't remember who, nor do I want to. It was raining very _very_ hard that night, and I begged my mother to stay home with me, because I was scared." He looked down, and plopped onto the sidewalk, gesturing for her to sit with him.

"Anyways, it was one of Itachi's first sleepovers ever… He much preferred staying home and focusing on schoolwork and his family, always having a more mature mind than he needed. Tonight though, he finally decided he wanted to have a more sociable lifestyle outside of school so people wouldn't think he was weird."

Sakura noticed a tone raise in his voice that she hadn't heard in anyone, except for Naruto when he had been very upset at one point – or perhaps the tone Ino's voice rung full of when she was crying over someone she thought she really cared about

She watched as he fiddled with his hands, and finally saw for the first time that Sasuke was indeed a fragile person. On the outside of his hard, almost impenetrable shell he was an arrogant asshole, who, though had a lousy past, didn't really give a flying fuck about others. Inside though, was a broken seven-year old boy, who only wished that things had gone differently. Suddenly, she knew this story didn't end the way she had suspected.

?

**A/N: Ohhhh! Cliff Hanger! So… I figured it's gone on long enough… You finally need to hear Sasuke's main point to his past and why he's so messed up now :) I intended for much different things at the end of this chapter, but it will come next chapter after the flash back :) I thought you guys would appreciate a flashback over dialogue, so I'll try and make it a very good one!**

**Tell me what you think in a review, I hope you enjoyed and keep reading! Lol**

**-zesty-**


	14. Thunder

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: I'm so SORRY! It's been such a long time I had no idea! I had the chapter written and everything, but my computer broke down, and my brother-in-law took the hard drive to fix it, and OMG I'm so sorry! I hope all of you are still alive! I know it's been a long time, but hopefully my readers AND reviewers (with hopefully some new ones) will come back! I'm going to start updating once a week again!  
**

**Chapter 14: Thunder**

"_Ani, will you please come home?" A seven year old Sasuke with wide, wondering eyes whined into the phone._

"_I'm very sorry little brother, that I left. I do believe I might come home though…" In truth, Itachi simply wanted to make his brother feel better. Besides, the idiotic sleep over he was having was such a drag – this Oliver kid only sat in front of the T.V._

_In his small hands, the black phone looked huge, and he fumbled as he switched ears and tried to hold it between his ear and his shoulder. It fell, and hit the wall, luckily having the cord to keep it from smashing to the tile floor._

_He heard his mother chuckle from behind him, mixing the brownie mix she _promised_ she would make Sasuke as soon as Itachi left. It was only about five hours that Itachi had been gone from the house, and Sasuke's short attention span lead him away from making brownies, and to bawling his eyes out – hoping his brother would come home and play with him._

_The ceiling fan casted shadows on the wall as Sasuke stumbled to pick the phone back up, "Big brother, are you still there?" He questioned fearfully._

_There was amusement in his brother's voice that Sasuke was still to young to recognize, "Yes Obouto, I am," His fond tone caused the younger Uchiha to be slightly comforted._

"_Will you come home and paint with me?" His brother asked hopefully._

"_Sure, Sasuke, I will…" He was delighted to be spending time with him. "Can I speak with Mom, please Sasuke?"_

"_Yeah…" He handed his mother the phone and ran to the brownie bowl, allowing his index finger to dive in. He tried to scoop up as much as possible, as though his finger were a spoon, and sucked it into his mouth._

_Quickly, his finger was under the counter top again, hiding the chocolate remnants on it, as he innocently stared at his mother, who glanced back to see what mischief he was trying to cause._

"_Yes Itachi, of course… We'll be there soon…" She smiled fondly, never taking her eyes off of Sasuke as she hung up the phone._

"_Your brother says he loves you," She spoke gingerly, taking the brownie bowl and emptying it into the pan._

"_I love him too! Did you tell him that mom? Did you?" He bounced in his chair, excited that Itachi was going to be home soon._

"_He knows, sweetheart…" She smiled at him again and put the pan into the oven. "I'm going to go pick him up… Your father and I won't be gone long."_

_Thunder suddenly boomed in the distance, as if on cue. Sasuke froze, his already saucer-sized eyes growing, if possible, even larger. He looked like a deer caught in headlights. His biggest fear was thunder._

"_Sasuke, honey, it's alright…" She picked up the seven-year-old and moved into the living room._

"_Isn't he a little old to be held?" His father questioned._

"_It's thundering…" she stated, and he knew what she meant immediately, even if the look of distaste didn't vanish from his face. "Itachi asked if we could go pick him up…"_

"_Ah!" Mr. Uchiha spoke as though the world had lifted from his shoulders, "good… We'll have to leave right away!" Before Sasuke could object, his father had flitted from the room to grab his jacket._

"_Please don't leave, Momma…" He whimpered, covering his face with his hands in nervousness._

_She bent down to his level, "Now Sasuke, don't worry. You see that timer in the kitchen? I'll be home before it even beeps, so we can take the brownies out… Me and you, or maybe, if we're lucky… me, you, and Itachi…" She winked and laughed a little, "Just sit tight, okay? Richard will be here, and so will Mayella," she gestured to the butler not all that far away._

"_But… But!" He gasped, his mouth hanging open, a couple of his teeth missing, as he sucked in a big breath to convince her to stay._

"_Sasuke, please… The sooner you let me go, the sooner we can get back…" She glanced up, hearing her husband's voice calling her name. She kissed his head and smiled, wiping away the tear that fell down his cheek, "I love you baby…" She smiled at him and hugged him._

_The _I love you_ he spoke in return was muffled by her shirt. The thunder rumbled again as she made her way out of the house. When he heard the car door slam and the vehicle slowly purr out of the drive way, he turned on his heel and darted into the kitchen. Plopping himself on the floor, he made himself comfortable as he watched the timer, eager for the return of his family._

_Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes into the twenty three it was going to take to bake the delicious treat. He listened as the timer beeped and beeped, and wondered vaguely if he should shut it off. Deciding against it, he knew he should wait for his mother._

_Another twenty minutes went by, the thunder rumbling so loud now that the room was shaking with fury from the storm, and the timer beeped every few minutes. He peeked into the oven and saw the once rich brown treats to be black and looking highly crusty._

_Still, he waited for his mother._

_At last, after an hour of waiting, and enough smoke pouring out of the oven to trigger the fire alarm, the noises in the kitchen drowned out the thunder. The sprinklers above him (Mr. Uchiha was certain his kids would set his house to flames) went off and he was soaked to the bone in mere seconds. Still he watched the brownies._

_Richard darted into the room, the first to hear the noises coming down from the second story of the house. He pulled Sasuke out of the way, lifting him into the air with the strength he could muster. Surprisingly, the small child didn't put up a fight._

_A certain spark left his eyes. He knew his mother would never go back on her word. He knew something happened. Sasuke was a pretty smart kid, and already at seven, he knew to trust his gut._

_In just twenty more minutes, as he sat on the couch silent and still, the phone rang, and he was informed another twenty minutes later of the terrible news. Itachi was never picked up – his parents hydroplaned across the road and a semi hit them. His father was killed instantly, and his mother had last words no paramedic had the heart to tell Richard._

_Tears leaked from Sasuke's eyes. Itachi quietly came in the door, hoping that Sasuke wasn't mad at him. When the boy saw his older brother he lashed out in anger, screaming and bawling, hugging him and punching him faintly in the stomach._

"_I hate you, Itachi! I hate you! It's all your fault!" He screamed, shoving him backwards, but soon running back to him, "If you hadn't come home!"_

_But Itachi knew he wasn't the only one Sasuke was blaming… The young Uchiha was blaming his mother for never coming back, and most devastatingly, himself, for asking Itachi to come home._

_Sasuke groaned as the pain grew in his chest, falling to the floor with Itachi, tears falling from both of the children that night._

_The next day, Sasuke had found out what those words from his mother were. "Don't blame Itachi,". Sasuke wished he didn't have to, but his mother went back on her word – he simply couldn't obey her last command._

_?_

Sakura saw how tired the raven haired boy looked. For a few quick moments during his story, she envisioned the small, shattered boy sitting in front of her, and it just broke her heart. Tears pricked her own eyes at the store, as suddenly she burst from her spot next to him, throwing her arms around him.

"Oh Sasuke!" She cried into his shoulder, surprising him, "I'm so sorry!" The story pained him to talk about, and having someone else cry about it was making his own eyes begin to water.

"Stop…" He tried to command, but couldn't come out forcefully. It only caused the girl in his arms to cry harder.

For being such a tough girl, he saw something tonight that only Sasori, Ino, and Naruto had ever seen in their life. There was a girl, so much like Sasuke – living it up on the outside, while on the inside she was a sensitive soul, who actually contained feelings that showed every once in a while. Unfortunately for an emotionally constipated Sasuke, he was receiving the blunt of it.

They stayed like that for a very long time, before Sakura settled lightly into Sasuke's arms. He wasn't sure what she was doing until he heard her even breathing – she had fallen asleep. Actually, the whole story made him quite tired too… And he found himself leaning against the wall of the mural, probably getting paint on his shirt and hair, closing his eyes and drifting into a hazy and uncomprehendable dream. For once his sleep wasn't sharp and disturbing – a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

?

A car door slammed and the pinkette's eyes fluttered open. She blinked the sleep from her eyes unsuccessfully and looked around. All was dark except for the street lamp a little ways away. The first thing she realized in her half conscious mind was that she was soaking wet. She heard thunder rumbled loudly overhead, before she realized that she was curled protectively by another figure.

Opening her eyes wide, she saw Sasuke leaning against the wall, looking highly peaceful in his sleep. He was also soaking wet. She glanced up at the mural and miraculously the rain hadn't really had an effect on it, though the paint that had ended up all over Sakura and in Sasuke's hair had long since washed away.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around her and lifted her up. She shook her heavy, limp hair for a moment in an attempt to get a grip on reality. "Itachi?" She breathed out quietly.

He didn't say anything as he gingerly opened his car door and pulled out a blanket. Wrapping it around her shoulders, she caught a waft of his scent, and it calmed her somehow. She was herded into the front seat of his car where the heat was on full blast. Amazingly enough, she only then figured out how cold she was, and gratefully looked up towards him.

Silence engulfed them as he opened the back door, leading Sasuke in as well. Immediately, the boy slumped onto the seat, falling back asleep again. Sakura at this time, was wide awake when Itachi got back in the car.

The side of her hair was plastered to the side of her neck and face. She stared straight ahead, watching the rain pound down on the windows – it seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"How long have you been out here?" He questioned, his gentle voice breaking through the silent spell hazing the car.

"I've been out all day, Sasuke came a few hours after that…" She spoke equally as quiet.

He didn't say anything for a long while, "Are you cold?"

She still couldn't feel her fingers or toes, but she was getting there. Shaking her head, she glanced back at Sasuke, passed out on the seat. Her eyes still felt puffy from crying, and she reminisced on the story she had heard a few hours prior.

She was too dazed to realize he kept glancing at her, "I take it you found out some of my brother's past?"

"Yes…" She was careful, the words falling off of her tongue in slow motion.

He nodded and stayed silent, "You're lucky – he doesn't normally open up to people very much…"

"Oh?"

"He must like you…" Itachi observed, moving his hands on the steering wheel – itching for an answer.

"Oh no…" She managed to pull off a small, shy smile, "We don't like each other like that… It's much more of a bantering relationship…"

Itachi said nothing, but a few thoughts ran through his head that he knew he wouldn't be able to process with the both of them in the car. Here were the two brothers and girl creating one of the largest love triangles in the history of Konoha High – it seemed surreal to him.

He pulled up beside Sakura's large, bright house – somehow still looking cheery even with the rain, thunder, and lightening swirling all around it. "Thanks for the ride."

"I'll walk you to the door…" He shut the door swiftly, and threw her a jacket to hold over her head as they ran.

"I guess this is my stop…"

"I guess so…" She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm, "By the way…" His eyes seemed thin and mature, showing that he wouldn't play games, showing someone safe. She warmed up the that feeling immediately – that was probably why it was so easy to talk to him.

"Yes?" She questioned, almost looking at him with – what was it on her face? Expectation? The thought intimidated her.

Her feelings were so mixed at the moment and so lost, that she wasn't sure quite what happened next until she was in bed thinking about it.

'I really liked your mural… The paintings on it were beautiful…" He complimented.

Before Sakura knew what she was doing, she, in one swift movement, gracefully fell towards him, her lips catching his as they shared a long moment of surprise.

When finally she pulled back, both of their faces mirrored shock and disbelief, as she quickly turned and hopped inside.

?

"Prom?"

"Yes!" She giggled, "Prom! I saw a flier already for it this morning! It's in a little over a month, Forehead, aren't you gonna go?"

"I don't know, Pig…" She pushed her spaghetti around on her plate, not very hungry.

The events of last night made her heart skip a beat every single time she thought about it. But, try as she might, she just couldn't _stop_ thinking about it.

"I think something happened last night after we left Sakura, that you aren't telling me!" She accused, pointing her finger the pinkette.

She raised an amused eyebrow, dropping her fork down on the plastic plate as a smirk began to grow on her lips.

"Okay Ino, like what?"

It stopped the girl in her tracks for a moment before she flared slightly with anger, "Well I don't know! You tell me!" She glared, crossing her arms and keeping direct eye contact with Sakura.

The pink haired sophomore didn't back down, and it turned into a heated staring contest.

Suddenly, a shove from behind caused Sakura to look away. They both moved their attention towards the redhead glowering from behind. "Sakura Haruno!" She howled, the whole lunch room looking up in interest.

Sasuke and Naruto, who raised their heads from a table in the corner, and Itachi and Kisame, plus the rest of the team, were particularly interested in what beef Karin had with Sakura.

"You danced with my Sasuke at Ino's party!" A scowl began to fester on her face as her crimson eyes beamed with a sense of pissed off.

Sakura boldly began to laugh. This peaked everyone's interest a little further. "_Your _Sasuke, Karin?"

Ino leaned forward in suspense, "Yes, of course he is madly in love with me!" She growled, as though it were a threat.

Sakura rolled her eyes and turned to her spaghetti, cutting it and eating a bite, "I'm completely uninterested in your romance with Sasuke," she really doubted they had something, but the possibility made her angry as it crept into her mind.

"Don't you pretend like you don't you bitch!" Karin yanked her hair and slapped her.

The whole lunch room went dead silent as Sakura stood, slowly and angrily. Karin cowered back – realizing her mistake a few seconds too late.

"When I tell you that I have nothing with Sasuke," _Lie_, her conscious told her, "I mean it!" _Lies! _"Besides, if he had a thing like a fat cow, redheaded skank like you, I wouldn't even want to _talk _to him anymore!" _Liar – you'd fight for him…_

The idiotic girl decided to slap Sakura again, but this time the pink haired girl caught her wrist and pushed her back.

"Bitch fight!" Naruto gleefully called, and everyone scrambled to gather around the two girls.

"Kick her ass, Sakura!" Ino cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Everyone was cheering for the pinkette, besides Karin's goons.

"You think you're _soo_ wonderful, Sakura!" Karin went in for a punch, but the girl easily side stepped, "But I bet not even Rock Lee would ask you to prom!"

Sakura laughed at this, thinking about how Lee had already placed several flowers, notes, and chocolates all over places she would see, asking her to go with him, "And I bet you couldn't even get one of your whore friends to ask you! And they worship you!"

Karin screamed at this, and lunged for Sakura, landing a lucky hit and tackling her to the ground. Sakura flipped her easily, and shoved her away, "I'm going to get aids just from touching you… Leave me the fuck alone…"

"You're just a girl who puts on a big front, Sakura, but you're really thinking that I'm right! You couldn't get any guy you wanted to go to prom with you – you won't even get asked!"

"Why would I want to even go?" She wandered outloud, but then stopped, "Alright Karin… just to prove you wrong, I'll go…" She finalized, getting up and walking out of the lunch room.

Uninterested by the rest of the fight, everyone settled back into their seats. Itachi and Sasuke saw their first inkling of an opening. Their time to strike would be soon.

?

**A/N: Well I thought the chapter was pretty good, except maybe the end. I tried to throw a little humor into it, because I've been forgetting about that a bit :) sorry if it was unsuccessfully funny though haha.**

**Please review and tell me how I did! Thanks!**

**-zesty-**


	15. Operation: Avoid All Uchihas

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: I'm so so so so sorry for the late late late update! Again, I have no excuse, just like the last time, but I have no internet on the computer I write on. It's so very time consuming and such a hassle to go from one computer to another with the document and a faulty USB please forgive me! I hope I still have all my lovely reviewers!  
**

**Chapter 15: Operation: Avoid All Uchihas**

That was surely something memorable about Sakura Haruno. She had something no other girl in the history of Konoha high had… She had morals.

Well – it was more than that. It was walls that were built, and every guy who tried to climb them didn't even make it half way up. The furthest someone had ever gone was about fifty percent exactly – that's where Itachi was latched onto right now, and not moving up or down.

After all, she had been the one who kissed him…

But then again, there was Sasuke… She didn't know where to put him on that wall, scaling it, or flailing his arms around in an attempt to hold on… He was annoying and conceited, and just made her blood boil when she thought about him… But on the other hand… he was her first kiss – the exhilaration of the run to know his secrets, the only one she had cried in front of, out of pure pity, or excruciating sadness even she didn't know.

Sasuke opened her senses to the world – at least that's what she had seen so far… For all she knew, he could already be sitting at the top of the wall laughing at those who fell, but never bothering to hop down to the other side.

In a jittery moment, Sasuke could have her blushing and nervous, but then in the next instant of time, she could be angry and shoving him away. Her bipolar attitude was wearing her out.

She was flopped on her bed where she laid, staring at the ceiling unmoving.

"Sakura, have you died?" Came the weary voice of her brother.

She didn't bother looking in his direction – she knew exactly what he looked like. His emotionless eyes brightened only a little (like a dim cell phone in an already lighted room) with a slight concern, his unruly hair looking softer than cotton. His pale hands would grip the oak doorframe, and he'd be wearing some assortment of red – she was sure of it.

"You'd like that wouldn't you…" She teased, sticking her tongue out to show she was joking.

He let out a chuckle that sounded more like a sigh as he moved into her room. "Your life is so dreary in here! Why don't you find an after school activity… Like the book club… or knitting… or…" He trailed off, though his attempt at a joke didn't go unseen.

She laughed, and flopped over to the side of the bed, "You want to join me in my quest for nothing?"

She barely finished before he was beside her, staring at her speckled ceiling.

"Do you remember when we used to do this as kids, and try to count the dots on the ceiling?" He questioned, pointing up at the dried plaster above them.

"Yeah…" She smiled and let out a tired giggle, "We'd always argue about what number we were on, because you could count faster than me… And we'd always mess each other up."

"I remember Father telling us one day that we would never find out the answer…"

"But that made us all the more determined!" She laughed, glancing at him.

The room fell silent again, and Sakura knew, as she counted the oddly shaped dots, that Sasori was doing the same thing.

It made her reflect on these walls, and the other defenses she had built around herself. If there was her own Sakura-made wall, then Sasori, Naruto, and Ino were the guards to make sure no idiots were able to climb up.

After the incident with Sai, she imagined a cartoon like event happening in her head. All three of them jammed a chibi Sai into the ground with their spears, poking and prodding him comically. She smiled at the thought as it interrupted her counts once more.

"Sakura…"

"Hm?" She questioned.

He fidgeted, causing her to be all the more interested in what he had to say, "You would tell me, if you were thinking about diving into a relationship again, correct?"

Had someone seen her and Itachi? Had he told his friends, and it had inevitably looped back to Sasori? Her heart skipped a beat – suddenly self conscious and nervous.

"Of course I would… You would know – trust me."

"Okay." He left it at that and sat up, "Mom's making me play scrabble with her – I told her you were going to have a fashion show in your closet – trying on all the new clothes she bought you so you could get out of it… So turn some things inside out and rip the price tag off, then throw a couple shirts into the bag and tell her you need the sizes exchanged… She'll believe us then."

Sakura had to laugh at that – Sasori could create the best lies in the world sometimes, "Thanks a million!"

"Sure…" He offered lazily, getting up and moving towards the door. He took one last glance at Sakura before sweeping out of the room.

She laid back on her bed and thought about her brother's question, drifting off into a light sleep surrounded by thoughts of a relationship with an Uchiha…

Complicated, yes?

?

Sasuke had walls of his own…

They were big, thick walls – so ugly and terrifying the smarter people in life – the people _worth_ having around, decided to avoid them entirely, not daring to know what other hideous creature could be lurking on the inside of those walls.

The idiots – the girls at school who put on a little too much make up, and not enough clothing – who try and climb his walls don't just fall… They get pushed. Sasuke himself shoves them away – no one, as surprising as it might sound, has made it even twenty percent up his wall… Not since Itachi betrayed him that awful night, and his mother and father crumbled from his life forever.

It was a sad thing to think about – so he simply didn't. His skills truly lied with the ability to shove things into a tight box and manage to shut the lid. And it wasn't just shutting it – it was sealing it off from the rest of the world and storing it under a bed in a room that's never used.

He wondered for a moment, just how far Itachi and his mother had scaled, before eventually they were beaten down by the shattered feelings of a seven year old boy. And that caused him to vaguely wonder how far up Sakura had snuck, without anyone knowing.

She was such an odd girl – always following her own rules and expectations – it was funny… She didn't care how nasty the walls looked; she just kept trekking along.

Whether this bothered Sasuke or not was still to be announced… These thoughts filled his head as he painted the sunset he watched pan out in front of him.

His attic was actually pretty comfortable. After a little dusting it was livable, and he wasn't really bothered by the spiders in the corners of the walls. He dipped his paint brush into a pastel pink – the sunset was one of those with many different colors playing across it.

He tried not to think about the things to come… He wasn't sure, after just moving home, that he was ready to live up to a challenge like this…

Of course he wanted to one-up Itachi… That was his main goal in life – and he believed even if his parents hadn't been killed in the tragic accident, that still – to this day, would be his goal… Even if it was in a much friendlier way.

On the other hand – his growing affection for Sakura was playing a part. The pink haired girl's smile was burned into his memories, but not quite so forcefully as her tears. He knew… Uchiha's never had a doubt… That if he kept the way he did – persisting, and willing her to fall in love with him – he'd seen it before with many others – that in the end, he wouldn't be fit to keep her… He knew that he would have to break her heart.

Normally, this didn't bother Sasuke, but with someone as independent, yet fragile as Sakura was, he wasn't sure he had the heart to do it. He wasn't as cold as everyone made him out to be.

Sighing, he brushed his paintbrush on the paper towel, and dipped it into a black color – silhouetting the trees that dotted the landscape.

He didn't want his soft side to show to the world… But he didn't want Sakura to get hurt…

Not her… She would be different. She was special. Though Sasuke knew he would never give as much affection to her as she would inevitably give to him, if he kept up with this bet, wooing her into submission, and climbing her walls until he could easily penetrate the fortress, he would not allow her to get hurt…

That much he was certain about…

?

"Sakura!" The squeal came like a pig who just saw a patch of fresh mud. It fit her well…

"Hey, Pig…" The sophomore nonchalantly replied to the blonde. That couldn't even cause her best friend's mood to falter – not today.

"Guess what!" She breathed, her cheeks pink – whether it was from something she was unaware of, or running, Sakura would never be able to tell. She hoped it was the former – at least it would add a little interest to her uneventful day.

"What?" She asked back automatically.

"Shikamaru asked me to prom! Oh Sakura! This means you _have_ to go! I'm not going to experience prom without you! And ohhh! We get to go shopping for a dress –"

"Dress?" The girl paled, "No, I'm not going."

"Stop being such a boy!" The girl hissed, yanking on her hand, "You'll have a date. Either Itachi or Sasuke!"

"What?" She blushed, though her best friend – in all the excitement – missed it completely.

"Oh like everyone can't tell that both of them are totally crushing on you! Jeez that was weird – Sasuke must have tipped it off moving here, huh? I knew you would blossom with that pretty good face of yours sometime! Even if your body is pudgy and awkward looking!"

Sakura punched the blonde in the arm, anger fuming and about to bubble over, "Take that back you bitch!"

"Yes, yes, you knew I was kidding…" She said in haste. "Sakura, you have to listen to me! You have to go! I'll tell Sasuke – or maybe Itachi… Which do you want to ask you?"

"Neither!"

"Then I'll tell both of them. Oh I'm so excited for us to go together!" She air kissed her best friend, "I'll see you later!"

As Sakura opened her mouth to reply, she saw the blonde speed away. She felt as though her conversations with Ino had become lessened over the weeks, and all the more random. Shaking her head, she glanced around, suddenly realizing she was going to have to be on full alert.

Time to start Operation: Avoid All Uchihas.

?

(the next sequence will switch between Itachi and Sasuke – I want to try it, so don't be confused :) Ino is basically going to say the same thing to both of them… Whoever's name I say like 'Itachi said' or 'Sasuke said' is who she's talking to… Thanks!)

"Itachi!" She smiled, a little flirty – it captured his attention.

The tall Uchiha turned around and smiled at her, "Ahh… Hello Miss Yamanaka, how can I help you?" He tilted his head at her.

"You know prom is in a month and a half…" She said, glancing around as though it weren't an important subject.

"Hn…" Sasuke crossed his arms – instantaneously suspicious about her intentions.

"Do you know if you're going to go?" She questioned, her face suddenly bright with anticipation.

"Of course I will!" Itachi laughed, "This _is_ my senior year…"

"Hn."

"Can you say an honest answer for once?" She barked at him, but immediately forced innocence back on her face, "I mean… if you do go – who do you think you're going to ask?"

"That's a tough one –" Itachi started automatically.

"- But I think I have someone in mind…" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"Who?" Ino pressed.

"I'm hoping –" Itachi smiled at the thought.

"- but maybe she hates me too much for this…" Sasuke almost let the emotion of disappointment onto his face, but carefully hid it after only a quick moment – Ino didn't notice.

"Sakura…" Itachi nodded, as though his decision was then rendered final.

"Sakura!" Sasuke thought of the bet and his voice sounded determined and a little pissy – the blonde figured that was normal.

"Good!" She laughed, waving it off as though it were nothing.

"That's exactly who I was going to tell you to ask… I have to warn you though…" Ino giggled at the thought of both of them failing miserably.

Her large eyes glanced up at him as she began her warning, "You're going to have to work for it – she isn't going to say yes automatically."

"Hn…" Sasuke answered.

"Thanks for the help," Itachi winked at her and waved her off, "I'll see you later."

With that her wicked plan had begun – the match making had begun!

?

Sasuke shook out his nerves. He was going to have to step out of his comfort zone – hopefully it wouldn't be too awkward.

He turned the corner in the hallway, rounding it, praying he went the right way (he could _not_ get used to this damned school!) and saw her mid step, staring at him as though she were a deer caught in headlights.

What he saw next was very non-Sakura, as she backed up – not even bothering to turn around – and disappeared around the corner. He strained to listen, and heard her pounding footsteps run away.

?

Itachi stood from his lunch table, making it seem like he would go to get more food. He made a detour around the lunchroom to where Ino and Sakura sat, barking back and forth at each other for some idiotic reason.

He wasn't out of the game yet. He wasn't one for being too terribly competitive, and he would much rather look out for Sasuke instead of trying to take up a challenge against him.

But then, the first thing that dawned on him would be Sasuke's reaction to his dropping out of the contest. It would be disappointment, and disbelief. Sasuke was the kind of person who would take it the complete wrong way – he would think Itachi was just mocking him – thinking he was too _good_ to go up against his younger brother…

Ino spotted him first and smirked, but it didn't take Sakura long to catch on. When she turned around, her eyes widened bigger than saucers. It was apparent now he was on his way to talk to them, and she sunk into her seat, hoping she had suddenly become invisible.

"Hello Sakura –"

"What?" She yelled suddenly, whipping her head back and forth for a way out, "Oh! Hi Naruto!" She screamed, muttering a slight sorry and sped to the opposite end of the lunchroom – the closest exit – the furthest away from Naruto.

It was so very unlike her, and he glanced at Ino, wondering if something had happened that everyone else had missed. She could only give him a shrug as an answer.

?

**A/N: Well I know it wasn't very Sakura-ish towards the end, but if you were trying to avoid people that much because you were suspicious, perhaps you'd do a little of the same thing, but I had to make it kind of unrealistic – its funnier that way :)**

**Anyways – I hope you enjoyed it at least… Now we know that they're both going in for the kill – AKA asking her to prom.**

**Please review!**

**-zesty-**


	16. Exhaustion

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: I am proud to say I am updating from my own computer that has internet back! Yayness! :D**

**Chapter 16: Exhaustion**

Gloom seemed to stick itself to the morning. Everywhere from the air to the soil was moist and chilled. The sudden drop in weather was amazingly odd. It had been a few days since Sakura had last seen Sasuke or Itachi for that matter, and she was weary of what would happen next.

She was sitting in the library – the only deserted place in the school (the air conditioning was always running) reading a book that look almost larger (if possible) than _War and Peace_ itself. The door opened in silence, so she didn't even bother looking up. When footsteps lightly tapped along the carpet, she figured it was the librarian, finally coming in to do her job.

Turning the page and leaning forward more, she sensed a presence coming up behind her. Again, she ignored it, too engulfed in the words of the book to really care.

"Sakura…" The smooth voice sent shivers down her spine as her head snapped up. Her wide emerald orbs scanned the boy in front of her. His charcoal eyes held little emotion – similar to the rest of his face, but there was something different about him – she couldn't pin point what because his voice broke into her reverie, "I have a question…"

Her long lashes swept over her eyes as she blinked a few times. He was still there even after her eyes closed and reopened, and she realized he wasn't going anywhere – but he was being polite – waiting for her to give him the go-ahead before speaking anymore.

Vaguely she wondered, as she studied the boy, and he back to her, why he was acting so un-Sasuke like. Normally, when she peeked at him in the hallways, and watched him interact with others, the only word in his dictionary was 'Hn', he was always irritated and calling people losers, every glance at Itachi was followed by a fit of rage that collapsed on his face for only a moment before it became serene in its comfort zone again – showing no emotion at all. But with her he seemed to be a gentler person. He wasn't the ice cube everyone else made him out to be… Of course, he still said 'Hn' and talking to Itachi caused him to bubble over his irritation limit, but it was almost as though he made an effort with her.

That's what provoked her to say what she said next, despite all of her attempts to avoid the raven, "What is it, Sasuke?"

He was silent for a few more moments, still scrutinizing her expression and body language, determining if he should say what he came to say, "Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?"

His voice was quiet, and yet still held all the confidence in the world, stunning her into an engulfing hush. They again stared at each other – she was simply too stunned to say much of anything. Finally, she closed the book altogether and stood up, him along with her. He was wearily trying to decide if he should run in fear of getting hit – he had just experienced her punching Naruto a few days ago from across the room – the sight wasn't pretty.

"I don't like Mexican." Her words caught him off guard, and she could have laughed at how dumb he looked.

It took him a few seconds to process that she had actually agreed, and a smirk broke onto his face, "Falling for me, Haruno?"

"I'm sparing you a mood swing, Uchiha," Her smirk matched his, "at being rejected."

"Touché…" he nodded in approval, "I'll pick you up at seven?"

She nodded, and watched him walk out of the library, a little more of a spring in his step. Perhaps she had just single handedly ruined her life and made his better… Shaking her head, she pushed the thought aside. Just because Sasuke was interested in her, didn't mean that she would get hurt… right?

?

_3:45 p.m._

Ino pulled yet another outfit out of her closet. "How about this one?"

Sakura's face puckered as though she had just tasted something sour, "I've never seen you wear that – why'd you even buy it?"

"It looked cute under dim light…" She shrugged and threw it on the floor, along with half of the other contents of her closet. Sakura glanced around the once clean room. It was now filled with dresses and jeans, jackets and blouses, and any other article of clothing imaginable. A blouse was hastily thrown atop a lampshade – it was the maybe pile, but forgotten three shirts later. A pair of jeans was kicked under the bed, hated before it was fully off the hanger. A dress was crumpled under Sakura, who leaned back in exhaustion – she didn't remember she really enjoyed the colors, but hated the lace.

Ino stepped into her closet then, and dug around for more clothing. The pinkette heard a gasp, squeal, and then her friend whisked out of the closet holding the most gorgeous dress in the world. It was smooth and silky – a dark shade of blue, but not quite navy. It looked like the night sky, and one could tell just by looking at it, it would be close to knee length, hug the waist, and flow out at the hips. With the thick, triangle straps and sweetheart neckline, the dress was absolutely gorgeous.

"Ino…" Sakura gasped, glancing up at her, "But this is what you wore on your first Christmas party at Shikamaru's… This dress means the world to you!" She gaped.

"Yeah, but this is your first date with Sasuke…" She smiled fondly at the dress and set it gingerly on the chair, "I'll find you some shoes…!" Her face suddenly turned ugly, "Don't you dare rip it or spill anything on it, Forehead!" The blonde barked in warning.

Sakura stood and hugged her friend, "Aw Pig, thanks!" She moved to the bathroom to put it on, while Ino fussed about the unparticular things like jewelry, make up, and decent shoes.

In the end, she was dressed in the beautiful dress, a silver, two tier necklace (one close to her neck, and one just about touching the top of the dress), hoop earrings, a pink bracelet, and matching blue satin shoes. Her eyes were outlined with liquid, glitter eyeliner, and lashes extended with dark mascara. She was the picture of perfection.

"Here…" Ino threw her a purse, "Just incase…" Inside were tampons, make up, a PDA with excuses to leave, a place for her cell phone, money, and a few other emergency dating supplies.

"You're making me kind of nervous now, Ino…" Sakura laughed, though she didn't mean it at all – at least… she wouldn't let the blonde know that.

"Don't you even worry about it! Okay?" Ino grinned and sat her down, determined to do something with her hair.

"Doesn't it look good enough?" Sakura questioned, groaning as Ino brought out a flat iron.

"I'm going to do something different…" She winked and grabbed a piece of paper, curling it up, and section off her friend's hair. Quickly, she wrapped sections of hair around the paper, and gave her small elegant curls to finish off her look. Sakura was shocked – her hair actually looked decent… More than decent it was actually very pretty… Something she couldn't achieve without Ino there.

"Now you look perfect – fit to date an Uchiha!" She cooed, pulling Sakura into a quick hug. "We should probably head down stairs – incase he's here or something!" She beamed as she tugged on her best friends arm.

As they floated into the hallway, Sasori was walking upstairs, and before he had a good luck at them – mumbled something about Ino's bedroom, and that the blonde should just be his mother's daughter since the two of them loved clothes so much they had to get Ino her own closet.

When he glanced up to see his sister, he froze in his place, his eyes growing wider, and his jaw dropping lower. The unfortunate glass he was holding, falling to the sandy carpet floor, spilling dark tea all over.

"Mooooooooom!" He yelled, not taking his eyes off of her. "Someone's abducted your daughter!"

Ino giggled, waving at him, as Sakura smiled – almost a little pained – as she pulled the pinkette down the stairs.

Mrs. Haruno was on her way up to see what her son was talking about, when she too halted – her whole body seemingly paralyzed.

Luckily, a knock at the door gave Sakura her get away, as she opened the door. Sasuke stood with a white shirt rolled up at the sleeves, a loose black tie and a black jacket thrown over it, with a nice pair of pants and black shoes – similar, but a little more classy than what he wore to Ino's party.

They stood staring at each other stupidly before Sakura's mom screamed – that broke them out of their reverie. Sakura hurried them both out before the woman could coo about her daughter 1) wearing a dress, 2) looking like a lady, and 3) going on a date… Then the list would span out to how handsome he was and how many babies they were going to have – she would rather skip the whole ordeal.

Ino shut the door before Mrs. Haruno could get out, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to the company of each other.

"You look…" Sasuke lost his thoughts as he glanced at her again.

She made sure to look the other way so he couldn't see her blushing. The awkwardness would leave – and then she would never live it down.

She gasped, breaking him from his almost nervous (Uchihas just don't get nervous) mood, as she ran forward – her steps small and quick due to the shoes – toward his car. "This thing!" Her eyes were sparkling and it was like she just fell in love, "This car is amazing!" She gaped.

He chuckled, a slow ego building in him again – yes… This date was going to be interesting with their two personalities clashing in an attempt to get along… And the car was the ice breaker…

_Sakura… Itachi… Let the games begin!_

?

**A/N: so I know that you all probably think Itachi isn't getting a lot of time with Sakura – but quite frankly, who reading this story really wants Itachi and Sakura together? :) There will be more of them, don't worry :D**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was short – but I really want this next one to solely revolve around the date. :D Please review!**

**-zesty- **


	17. The Date

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: I'm very sad because no one is reviewing anymore :( I'm actually keeping up to date, and things are actually picking up, and no one wants to review. I'm very sad… When I get at least 4 reviews I'll update again :)**

**Chapter 17: The Date**

He took in a big breath, but before unlocking the doors, he questioned her, "Do you want to drive it?"

She whipped her head around and stared at him wide-eyed, "You mean you'd let me drive it?"

_If it helped me score points with you… _"Yes… As long as you don't kill us."

She squealed as he threw her the keys, and carefully, as her heels clicked on the sidewalk. The night was warm – the stars already glittering in the air, as the trees whispered to each other about secrets of the day – coaxed by the gentle wind.

She looked stunning in the spotlight of the street lamp, and he tilted his head to gaze at her a little longer than he needed to. Quickly looking away, he excused the thoughts of her from his mind. He expelled whatever lingering thoughts he had on the way he was dressed, or the way she was making him feel slightly nervous. His father had once told him: _Uchihas only get nervous for one sort of girl, and that's the girl they're going to marry… For no one else do they get nerves in front of, even if their masterminds at hiding it._

This made him wonder ever so slightly if Itachi ever got nervous talking to Sakura, but quickly pushed the thoughts away. Though the date was a tool at getting the upper hand – his confident side persisted that he already had it, and he was purely there because he wanted to be.

"Well…" She rolled down the window and beamed at him, "Are you getting in? Or am I going on this date by myself?"

He smirked and opened the door, quickly collapsing onto the seat.

"Wow…" She breathed, "What a beauty…" Grinning, she put the car in drive, and eased forward.

The ride was smooth as they glided along the pavement. She was thrilled as they moved about, before a frown set itself on her face, "Wait… Where are we going…"

'Oh," he didn't think of that when he threw her the keys, "I guess my dinner reservations won't be a surprise now…"

She laughed and glanced at him, "Just tell me when to turn and stuff, and I won't ever have to know, okay?"

"Sounds good…"

?

The car ride there was relatively silent, besides Sasuke directing the girl where to turn left and right. He was hoping that she'd be more talkative at dinner, but seeing the look on her face – she must have been concentrating on the road pretty hard.

When they finally pulled to the restaurant, she gaped, "Oh my god!" Blinking in surprise she looked at the building, "Sasuke this place is ridiculously expensive!" She was happy she dressed how she had.

She got out of the car, and handed the keys to the man, who bowed politely and got in the car to park it. Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who tugged on her hand and pulled her to the door, pulling it open. He let a few people walk out first, gathering a couple mumbled thank you's, and walked in.

_Roseto _was an Italian restaurant with the best pasta in the whole country. He knew it would put a hole in his wallet, but at this point, he was unaffected by it. To watch the girl's eyes glitter in the dim lights was worth it – as cheesy and un-Sasuke as that sounded. His inner self, the jerk and egotistical one, screamed at him that he felt like throwing up he was being that lame.

He walked to the counter, and eyed the gorgeous waitress, "I have a reservation…"

She basically melted at his unwavering sexy voice, low and attractive, a magnet to all the single women near by.

"Name?" She questioned flirtatiously. Sakura frowned, and made the bold movement of linking her arm with his. Sasuke smirked at this, slightly surprised that she was jealous of that sort of thing, but even he flinched back when the waitress growled at her.

"Uchiha…" He replied to her, to keep the peace.

She smiled a brilliant little smirk at him, and then glared at the pinkette. The competitive girl next to him squeezed his arm a little _too_ hard for comfort, and leaned forward, "We're on a date you know…" There was a silence as the waitress slowly looked up, taking death glare to a new level, "He asked me…" She added as an extra jab.

"I'm so _sorry_, Mr. Uchiha," She blinked seductively, ignoring Sakura altogether, "It seems someone has given your table up – as your reservations aren't seeming to come up on the computer.

"What?" He hissed, but Sakura put a hand on his to calm him down, "What do you mean?"

"I guess no one accounted for your date being such a fat sow!" She spat out the words as though they were foul.

The pinkette only raised an eyebrow, "That's okay… We'll dine somewhere with waitresses who actually _fit _into their outfits."

She glanced down, remembering that she was self conscious about her skirt's second button not buttoning. She looked up with such an offended look, her chocolate hair hanging in front of her face, he almost had to laugh. She was so frazzled by the comment, as the two walked out, she openly (and quite annoyingly) gave our table to another couple.

"I'm sorry…" He spoke dully, irritated that his plan didn't work – he didn't make a plan B… Uchihas should have to make plan B's because their plan A's should work out!

"It's okay," She laughed, waving it off, "What do you want to do now?" The dreaded question of the century.

He was silent, as he stopped one of the valets, "Excuse me, could you bring me my car…" he handed him the ticket, and the man paled.

"Someone just picked up that car."

Sasuke was quiet at first, before his hand flinched, "What?" A vein popped in his temple, and Sakura took one step to the left of him. "You let somebody _steal_ my car?" His voice wasn't even loud – just low and ominous. If Sakura wasn't so afraid, she would still think it was sexy.

Wait – when did she begin to think that in the first place?

"We'll have the police on that right away! If you just –"

"No… That's not ruining my night. _You_ do it – since you let someone steal it in the _first_ place…" He wrote down his number on the back of the ticket, along with his license plate number, "Call me. Or I'm suing this place."

"Y-yes sir!" He scampered off to find a phone, and Sakura tried to hold in a giggle.

"What's so funny?" He demanded, his charcoal eyes landing on her innocently held together face.

"You look kind of cute when you're angry like that…" She mumbled, though it was loud enough for him to hear, and he smirked, his ego hopping up yet another level. She noticed this and rolled her eyes, "Don't get too cocky, Uchiha, that's the first bit of cuteness you have in you… You're at about point five percent out of one hundred here…"

He continued smirking, but said nothing more. "Here – I have a place we can go to eat…" She offered.

"But we don't have a car…" He pointed out.

"Then we'll walk," She smiled, tugging him along on the sidewalk, but he was surprised when she never let go of his hand.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say the girl was falling for him… Then again, he once thought Naruto was fatally wounded when he was simply trying to think deeply – he got signs mixed up every so often. But those were petty – unimportant…

When Naruto hadn't ended up dying, he woudn't talk to the dobe for a week, accusing him of trying to trick the raven haired boy.

"Sakura…" He hated to bring it up on the date, but he was itching to know.

"Hm?" She questioned, continuing to walk at a leisurely pace.

"Have you ever dated anyone before?" He pondered out loud.

She went rigid, and he felt it, trying to tug his hand away. To his surprise, she held steadfast, not allowing him to shy away. "Yes."

"Do you mind if I ask who?"

"He doesn't go to this school anymore… But his name is Sai Takeuchi." It was his turn to freeze.

"I know him."

"What?" She gaped.

"I used to go to these shows… Art shows I mean – to show my work, and he was always there, rivaling me for first place… Sometime last year, he actually moved to our town – lived right across the street from my uncle."

She didn't speak for quite a long time, gnawing on her lip in thought. "Did you ever talk to him?"

"Yeah…" He nodded, and she assumed the worst, "He was an asshole…" Her eyes seemed to brighten as though Sasuke had become her own personal hero.

"Really?" She squeaked.

He nodded, and got a kiss on the cheek in reply. He glanced at her, both eyebrows shot up in slight confusion. Her face was a little pinker than it was before, "I don't know why I did that."

"It's okay…" He said softly, though he didn't know if she had heard or not.

"Can I ask you a question now?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you hate your brother now? I know… from your story with your parents but…" She trailed, "Why move away for so long?"

"I can't forgive my brother for his part in my parents death," He said after a long while, "And I cannot forgive myself for blaming him. It's a big sense of pride, and I know that Itachi tries to look out for me, and connect with me the same way he used to – but I'm afraid of what might happen if I forgive him."

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head, her light curls falling over her shoulder.

"I actually enjoy competing with him… I'm truly afraid that that will stop, if we go back to the way things were… And worse yet, if we go back – then the memory of my parents might fade…"

She didn't speak again to him about the subject, feeling as though it was getting a little serious for Sasuke's taste. They walked down the bustling streets, stopping at lights to wait to walk across the asphalt.

People chattered all around them, and the harmonic sounds of nature were nowhere to be found. But Sasuke found that the incomplete silence around them was comfortable – it was one of the few times in his life he ever thought so. His hand was warm in Sakura's now, and though he wasn't sure where they were going, she had a spring in her step that told him not to worry about it.

"Can I ask another question?" She asked, staring straight forward.

"Hn." He replied back to her.

"Have you ever had sex with someone? Or are they all just rumors?"

Sasuke didn't know exactly how to answer that. Should he lie to her? Make it seem like he's just as innocent, when indeed was not… Or should he be truthful, and potentially have her disgusted with him.

This inner conflict went unnoticed by Sakura, "I'm sorry – if that was too personal –"

"I have yes…" He decided to go with the truth… "But just once, and not with anyone from this wretched school… No offense."

She snorted and waved her hand, "None taken…" She smiled, her eyes squinting as she tilted her head, "I'm glad they're rumors… I didn't want to take you for one of those kinds of guys…"

"Hn…" Before anymore conversation could be conjured, Sakura gasped. "There it is! Just up about a block!"

She jerked on his hand and tried to get him to run with her, instead of his stubbornly slow pace he was at now. "Ohhh you'll love it! Please hurry up!" She begged him.

He sighed and jogged along with her, causing her to squeal with delight. He hadn't seen her so happy – just pessimistic and witty, and though that side, he had to admit, was incredibly sexy about her, he enjoyed being with the Sakura her very close friends got to experience every day they saw her.

Belle Nuit was a French based restaurant that was lit up, comparable to Paris itself. There were icicle lights boarding the corner between the ceiling and wall, all in white, while fresh cut roses of every different color filled columns between booths to give parties privacy. Light, classical music played in the background – all French of course – and there was a fountain in the middle of it all, giving a serene melody to the air. The waiters and waitresses were dressed in all black to blend into the dim background – friendly, but not pesky and bothersome. Plants also hung from the ceiling, their long stems of leaves spilling over the hanging pot, and cascading down the walls.

The walls were a sandy yellow, as though to blend into the scenery, with some painted plants of their own engraved into the walls.

It was possibly the most romantic restaurant that Sasuke had ever been to. Even the people dining had enough decency to be quiet for the other guests, and the waitress assured them that they would have a seat right away, and surprising to the two teenagers even more so – she didn't once try to check Sasuke out… at least not right in front of them.

When they were seated, Sakura settled into her spot and shrugged her purse onto the cushiony material next to her. He slid into the other side of the booth, and looked up at her.

It seemed all they could do was look into each others eyes – no matter how cheesy that sounded – before the waitress came to ask what kind of drink they wanted.

"What can I get for ya'll tonight?"

"I'll have a coke please," Sasuke glanced at Sakura.

"How about you, darlin'?" She smiled brightly at the pinkette, who answered with lemonade.

"You seem… more like a Dr. Pepper kind of person." He spoke as the waitress hurried away.

"What?" She laughed, watching him with a strange expression. He scratched his neck, suddenly feeling stupid for saying such a though out loud.

"I always thought of Dr. Pepper to be more bad ass than lemonade… and you're kind of a bad ass yourself."

"Thanks?" She laughed, tilting her head to the side.

He shrugged as his conversation starter went down the toilet. Things weren't going quite as good for him as he expected at the beginning of the night.

They listened to the soft music for a moment, until Sakura glanced up at his charcoal eyes. "You know what?"

"Hn?" He questioned in his mind, tilting his head slightly, though his expression was still the normal, bored face.

"You're a lot more talkative when you're on a date…"

"Well… When I have interest in someone, I do put a little effort out there…" He mumbled, not intending for her to catch it.

She laughed and shook her curly hair, "Sasuke Uchiha actually has emotions? You show interest in people?" She turned her head, her profile stunning to him, "I'm truly shocked."

"I'm not as emotionally inept as everyone thinks…" He thought for a moment about his uptight feelings against annoying people, plus Itachi, "Just emotionally constipated…"

She cracked up at his joke, though a smirk only played on his face. She had heard that somewhere before, whether from herself or someone else she couldn't remember, but she enjoyed the attitude the raven was showing. "Well… Mr. Uchiha… What kind of girls do you show interest in then? What are your turn ons?"

He knew she didn't mean the latter question like the way he took it – but he fidgeted anyways. "Well… Obviously all of them have pink hair and stunning eyes… They have quick tempers and sarcastic remarks, and also _hate_ Uchihas."

She raised an eyebrow at him, though said nothing and took a sip of her lemonade. He slowly cracked a grin on his face, Sakura mirroring his expression. "Anything else? What about red hair, shoves people around to get to you, and would jump off a building to be with you, before realizing, if she ever did I might add, that dying would ultimately mean you two would never be together?"

"Well… Though the thought of Karin dying _would_ be appealing…" He chuckled, causing her to let out a low laugh, "I'm going to have to say I wouldn't even pretend to be interested in her for her to jump off of a building."

"Touché…" She laughed, making a face.

He glanced at the menu, "So… Not all of this is French, right?"

She shook her head, "Not all of it, but if you don't speak French, it's kind of difficult to figure out what isn't snail, and what is…"

He paled slightly, the blood draining from his face in fear of eating a slug. She laughed, and lightly pushed down his menu, "How about I order for the both of us."

"Okay…" He still didn't sound very assured.

"What kind of things do you like to eat?" She questioned.

"Any kind of meat… except maybe frog or something like that…"

She squinted her eyes after a laugh and scanned the menu, until her face lit up and she knew exactly what she was going to get him, "Do you like cheese?"

He nodded, skeptical of what she had in mind. Her smile beamed, as she folded up the menu and placed it on top of his, "You're going to love it!" She was determined to be right.

"Hi you two!" She smiled brightly, "Sorry my trip with the drinks was so brisk… My name is Lana, how can I help you tonight?"

"Can I have the… Pot au feu, and could you get him the Coq au vin please…" She smiled brightly, her face dazzling when she pictured the food in her mind.

"Sure thing sweetheart… Do you want a refill, love?" She grabbed Sasuke's glass when he nodded, "You're food will be out soon! Do you want any appetizers or deserts while you wait?"

She glanced at Sasuke, and he shrugged, saying he didn't mind. She tilted her head and smirked, "à la Bourguignonne under Classic Escargots please…" "Alright! I'll be out soon!" she smiled and swiftly left the two alone, Sasuke glaring at the pinkette now. "What?" She asked innocently. "You know exactly _what…_ I don't take French, but I do know what _escargot_ means…" He growled at her, fiercely giving her a warning. She could only laugh, "You get a special surprise if you try the escargot, Sasuke…" She purred seductively, and he straightened, ignoring the tingle in his legs and waist under the table. Thinking back to her prior question about turn ons, he shook his head; she had a damn good way of turning him on. Sakura watched Sasuke's expression changed multiple times before she let out a laugh and gave him the information that she was watching him. He immediately straightened and stopped making funny faces. "What?" He grumbled sourly. "Nothing!" She laughed, pressing her lips into a thin line. He glanced at her skeptically, and narrowed his eyes. She gazed back at him with a challenging look. They stayed like this for several minutes, silently accusing the other of an unknown crime, before the escargot was placed on the table. "Eat up, love birds!" The two blushed at the nickname as the waitress ambled away, finding someone else to help. He glanced at Sakura as she delicately picked up a snail shell and slurped it out of its shell. He watched on in horror and disgust as she sucked in a mouthful of lemonade. "Come on, Sasuke… Think of the reward…" _Think of the reward…_ He repeated in his head, watching the dead slugs on the table, as though they were going to flip over and try to escape. _Come on Sasuke – think of how much you could gain!_ His hormones flared again, and he shifted, again glancing up at the grinning girl. 'I hate you…" he mumbled, tearing his eyes away from her. _Think of the reward…_ He gingerly fingered the shell, before holding it to his lips. He didn't miss the sign of pure glee on Sakura's face before he squeezed his eyes shut and tipped his head back as though he were taking a shot, waiting for the repulsive and slimy feeling of the slug in his mouth. _Doing it for a reward from Sakura…_ He had stupidly agreed to something without even knowing what the reward would be, and surprisingly, didn't do it do gain extra points with her on the dare. He simply wanted to please her – he didn't know what was more disturbing… The slippery texture of the dead snail in his mouth, or the fact that for the first time in his life, he wanted to make someone happy… ? A/N: I really liked that last line! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! This is the first time I've actually written a date out instead of summarizing the whole thing, so I hope it's going okay so far! I'm going to have a second part to it – don't you worry about it! :D Please review – I know there are people out there who wanna give this story love! -zesty- 


	18. The Date pt 2

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any if its characters.**

**Warning: This chapter does get a little spicy, if you know what I mean… But many things are implied, not necessarily spoken directly, so I think my rating is alright. If anyone has a problem with it, stop when it begins to heat up, and skip to the next '?' break that you see. Thank you :)**

**Chapter 18: The Date pt 2**

_I can't believe he just did that…_ Though Sakura managed to pull off a grin – it splitting across the bottom half of her porcelain face, she couldn't help but think it peculiar that Sasuke actually did that… For her…

By simply telling him there was going to be a reward in mind, he had bravely picked up the shell, and held it to his lips. Her eyes danced in emerald enjoyment – the kid was growing on her.

Sure, she knew he was an asshole – at least… he was on the surface, and it wasn't like she was madly in love with Sasuke, but she liked him. Whether it was just as friends, or maybe a little more, she was still unsure of – that part was fuzzy, but she did know that she enjoyed his company, and couldn't wait to spend more time with him.

His face puckered, his charcoal eyes disappearing behind long lashes and pale eyelids. He looked like a cross between a fish and a monkey, and honestly, it made her laugh out loud. Flashing her pearly teeth, she giggled and sipped her lemonade.

"I'm highly pleased that I got to witness that…" She smirked, as he narrowed his eyes into a deathly stare.

It was quiet for a moment, before she burst into a howling laughter. It wasn't obnoxiously loud – whereas it disturbed other parties, but she couldn't contain herself, and the louder she was, the more irritated the raven was who sat in front of her was.

"I'm really going to get you back for that, Pinkie."

Her face immediately sobered, "_Don't _call me Pinkie."

He grinned, "Pinkie."

"You just ate a snail Uchiha so shut up!"

He blanched, "Hn."

She sighed and looked down, "You're hopeless…"

"So what's my reward?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side. His hair moved slightly as his eyes pierced into hers. She was forced to look away.

"I'll give it to you later…" She retorted with a wink. He straightened in surprise, but before he could say anything back to her, the waitress came with their food.

"I hope ya'll like it!" She beamed, "It smelled especially good, and I watched the chef prepare part of it – he's definitely doing a great job tonight! Eat up!"

With that she left the two there. Unfortunately, Sasuke was now weary of French food. Sensing this, the pinkette laughed, "Don't worry about it, Uchiha… Man up and eat."

He sent her a glare before gingerly picking up his fork and poking at the meat. Feeling as though it was safe, he cut it and placed some in his mouth. It seemed to melt, and yet it was still there all at the same time. The juices overflowed his senses, causing his whole mouth to tingle with delight. It was similar to his first kiss all over again.

He blinked and glanced down, "What am I eating?" He noticed her delicate smile; the girl was obviously pleased with herself, sensing Sasuke's liking towards the food.

"If I told you, you might not like it anymore!" She laughed. This didn't cause the black haired teen to be nervous – even if this delightful first-time treat was snail, he would still eat it.

Remembering the slimy texture, and the way it glided down his throat made him shutter. Maybe he wouldn't eat it… So perhaps it was better she didn't share. Instead, he continued eating, and they listened to the peaceful music, a comfortable silence settling over the two like the first snow, freshly shaken onto the ground at the beginning of winter.

"I'm really glad we came here…" He admitted, not looking her in the eyes, "I'm glad we came here instead of going to that other restaurant."

"Really?" Her head tilted, silky curls swaying with the movement.

"Yeah…" He nodded, settling back into silence.

When she realized she wasn't going to coax anymore out of him, she took another spoonful of her soup, and glanced around to look anywhere that wasn't Sasuke. It turned out that he absorbed most of her vision though, so she settled with staring right at him.

He didn't notice for a few moments. She found the quirk of his lips thinning into a line as he eyed the bite he was about to take cautiously. She wondered vaguely if he did this every time he ate, or if it was only so, because he didn't trust the food – as though there were going to be a snail in the middle of it.

When he finally looked up their eyes met under the dim lighting. It was cheesy to her – their romantic setting and the way she was just staring… But that was shoved to the back of her mind as she leaned forward, watching in amazement as he did the same.

He felt her delicate breath on his face. It was confident, yet shaken, and he was curious to know what she was thinking about. Their faces were only inches apart, and for one of the first times in his life (it seemed as though all confidence sparks were with her and her alone) he made a move he knew he might regret. He leaned quickly forward, capturing his lips on hers.

Sasuke had always been a dare devil, and yet at the same time, he was Mr. Play-It-Safe. He knew his boundaries, and pushed them only to the extent of stretching them further. He was always in control – knew if it would cause a scene, or drama, and would stop before that happened. And yet tonight, as he slid his tongue over the soft lips of the pinkette, he realized he was being the exact opposite of what he always was.

When they broke apart moments later, Sakura couldn't swipe the grin off of her face. Suddenly, things were going very right for her. Still that spot was fuzzy, but the blur between the lines was starting to focus in. Who knows? That date could be the breaking point – perhaps the girl found someone she really wanted to try being with again…

The bill came only seconds later, and Sasuke didn't say a word about it as he pulled out his wallet. He slapped the money into the small, leather booklet, and Sakura couldn't even speak as he tugged her hand.

"This time – I have somewhere, I want to bring you…"

?

"Dammit Uchiha… I thought for sure this was going to make the night better…" She grumbled, scooting closer to the window.

Sasuke was crammed in next to her, and the smell almost made her want to vomit up her soup from the French restaurant. There was a crying baby only two seats back, and her irritation level was about to sky rocket.

"Why didn't we just drive your car?" She groaned.

"It's a waste of gas…" Truly, he would have loved to drive his car. He imagined the engine and it's near silent purr as it whizzed down the road… But this terrible subway ride would make everything worth while…

An old fat man with grease stains on his shirt wheezed in front of the girl, and she flinched back, in an attempt to block her body and overpriced dress from the main incase he decided to heave. Sasuke chuckled, and shifted positions, as though doing so would help defend her against the possible attack.

There was a man behind them who kept attempting to stand, and stare down Sakura's dress. Though neither of the two teens noticed until confrontation.

"Hey babe…" His voice was a low hum – creepy, and not at all the low seductiveness that Sasuke held in his tone.

She turned her head in disgust. Sasuke watched on with interest, ready to intervene whenever he was needed.

"Hey, I'm talking to you sweet cakes," He grumbled, glaring at her now.

"Well, I was really hoping you weren't, therefore I didn't answer you…" She replied with snooty distaste. He had to applaud her – she wasn't like this at all, but she played the part well.

"Come on – you don't like mid class people?"

She wrinkled her nose, "I can do mid class, and even lower class… You don't fit into either of those categories –"

"Watch your mouth bitch!" He snarled, grabbing for her shoulder.

Though the tight space served as an annoyance, Sasuke's arm shot out, barely missing Sakura's delicate face, as he snatched the man's wrist with neck breaking speed. His hold was deadly, and the man was glancing nervously at his arm, as though it would snap in half.

"She said leave her alone. So do it." He said simply, his charcoal eyes dropping an octave lower into the angry scale.

Before he could say anything more, the subway came to a screeching stop, and Sasuke quickly stood, knowing by heart this is where they would depart. He quickly pulled the pinkette in front of him, and began lightly pushing his way off the cart.

Excitedly she bounced as they walked above ground again. "Where are we going?" She pressed; he could tell she was itching to know, but this time he had something to hold over her head, and only showed impressions of a grin on his face.

"Hn…" He answered, taking her hand as casually as possible as they walked.

She stared at their intertwined fingers for a moment, dumbfounded as they walked, and suddenly Sasuke wasn't sure he should have done that. But then he heard a soft, airy laugh, as she tightened her grasp on his pale hand, gripping her sparkling shoes in the other hand.

He had to fight down the urge to grin as he walked along the street, the crowd on the sidewalk thinning as they moved towards the outer edge of this strange place.

"You aren't going to take me somewhere to rape me, are you Uchiha? Cause that's what this is beginning to look like."

"It's not…" He glanced at her weary expression, "I promise." Uchihas didn't break promises either.

She didn't answer as they moved from the cerement to the grass. Silence engulfed them until she heard the sudden lullaby rush of waves, back and forth in a steady beat. She gasped and glanced at him, "Just how far out did we go?" She demanded.

He didn't answer as he pulled her ever closer to the beach unfolding in front of them.

She watched the shimmering waves glimmer in the moon light. It had grown dark since they had last been outside, and the haze of no light made the scene in front of her more illuminated and highlighted.

She watched in amazement how the glowing rays from the moon bounced off of everything as the wind tickled the grass. It was peaceful – nothing like their bustling town of Konoha. Staring on, she realized there was sand closer to the water and let out a delighted yelp.

She broke away from Sasuke, beginning to sprint. She realized after not too long that Sasuke was racing behind her as well. When her feet hit the sand, a grin spread like the plague over her face, and she hurried closer to the water, dropping into the sand and watching intently.

He dropped next to her after a few moments, his chest puffing out and sucking back in as he tried to breathe. The both of them had sprinted kind of a long ways, and wanted to relax in the still warm sand. It had yet to release its heat from the sunny day, and Sakura dug her toes into it, feeling the coolness below the surface.

"This is gorgeous…" She commented, but not further words were said.

They stayed silent for a very long time, taking in the perfect night, and beautiful landscape in front of them. Suddenly though, Sakura popped up from the sand like a daisy in the spring, and smirked.

"Get up Uchiha."

Sasuke slowly rose, cautious and nervous about what she was going to do. Suddenly, she took his hand and started to drag him. It took about fifteen steps before he finally started to fight.

"No!" He hissed.

"Yes!" She growled right back, now having to clasp his hand in both of hers, heaving her weight and his forward to get him to move.

"I'm _not_ going into the water!" He declared, yanking his hand away, and trying to run. She was too quick and jumped on his back. Whipping around in surprise, they both fell into the sand, scrambling to stand once more.

She ended up getting the upper hand as she dragged him by the hair forward, his body dragging in the sand. Snickering as they came to the edge of the water, she pulled him up.

"Just put your feet in… That's all I was going to do…" She smiled innocently, placing a delicate hand on his back, and nudging him towards the cool aqua.

His face puckered and he stepped forward in defeat, throwing off his shoes and rolling up his pant legs. She laughed a little at him, but he ignored it as he stood next to her, now the cool, ocean breeze blowing on his face. He smelt the salt on the wind, and closed his eyes.

The next think he knew, he was falling face first into the water. With a splash, he suddenly became engulfed, and his eyes popped open. The breath in his mouth was quick and small, and he struggled to resurface. Glancing around, he noticed he wasn't that far off shore – only about two feet from where he was standing and saw the pinkette already backing up.

"You're dead, Haruno…" He warned, jumping out of the water and chasing after her.

She laughed and tried to run away, but when he was angry he could _run_. He caught her quickly, and bear hugged her from behind. Despite her screams and yelps of laughter, he carried her, with her feet not even closer to touching the sand, and dumped her, and the beautiful dress, straight into the water.

When she emerged, her hair clung to her face, dress plastered to her skin, and visible goose bumps infested her arms and legs. She blinked for a moment, both of them surprised the make up was not running (perhaps Ino _knew_ this would happen), before finally jumping out and trying to do what just happened to her.

This went on for a long time, laughter erupting from the small beach for what seemed like ever, as they splashed and dashed up on the waves, not caring now what was wet and what wasn't.

They were then sitting in the sand, not caring that it was sticking to everything like glue, when Sasuke began to dig. Both of them went at it for a while, before he finally came across a beautiful shell. It was perfect – pearly white, the tips tinting purple and blue. There were no holes or chips on it, and he smiled, presenting it to the emerald eyed girl.

"You're really going to let me have this?" She gasped, blinking.

"It's just as beautiful as you…" She didn't think Uchihas were capable of coming up with cheesy lines, but she supposed there was a first time for everything. Instead of answering, she leaned in and closed her eyes, as Sasuke's lips pressed over hers.

In a matter of minutes, their passionate kiss began to get more heated, and she found herself pinned by her wrists in the sand, Sasuke laying atop of her, kissing her feverantly battling her tongue and lips for dominance. Finally breaking away, he kissed from her jaw line, stringing butterfly kisses to the hem of the top of her dress. She in turn, nibbled at his ear lobe, before suddenly arching up into him, letting out a low moan.

He had found the sweet spot on her neck, and embarrassed by being the first to make any sort of noise, found something to distract her. She tangled one hand into his matted hair, and used the other hand to pull him even closer to her. Their bodies were touching in every way, and no longer was Sasuke willing to be gentle about it, after he tugging and pulling at him.

He pressed his hips into hers, running his hand down her chest to her stomach, a trail of warm left in the midst of the chilly water all over her being. She did the same to him, gripping his belt and tugging on it. It was the heat of the moment, and neither of them wanted to back down.

?

Sasuke glanced at the girl, her eyelashes wisping over her cheeks as she inhaled deeply. The ride home from the beach was the similar way, only he watched passengers speak quietly to each other, while she leaned against his chest, curled up, and sleeping.

He knew the girl was exhausted, and quite frankly, he felt the fatigue draining his last bit of energy as well. Carefully, he pulled up by the side of her house, noticing the light was still on and waiting for her. He saw Ino's car in the drive way and knew he'd have to personally ask the blonde to let her sleep.

Carefully shutting off the already almost silent car, he glanced at the girl who still hadn't stirred. He could barely get her to walk to his car from the subway, her drowsiness causing him to wrap his arm around her waist, and her arm around his neck. Walk wasn't the right word… More like drag…

Opening her door and lifting her out of the car, he kicked the car door shut, and began to stumble to the door with the agility of a drunken man. She was dead weight in his arms, and though he was strong enough to carry her, his own fatigue was weighing down on him.

Carefully tapping on the door, Ino opened it, and held open the screen section for him. She followed him hastily up the stairs and slipped off Sakura's shoes, before he laid her on her bed, after the blonde laid down a towel.

The pair then slipped out of the room and slowly made their way downstairs.

"Is she okay?" Ino gasped, her eyes almost bulging out of her head, "What's going on with her? What happened to you two? Did you go out dancing then get drunk and she passed out and –"

He turned and gave her 'the eye' and she shut her mouth abruptly. Before she could speak again, he replied in a hushed tone, "She's fine – just exhausted and tired… We both are… No… We went to a French restaurant, and rode the subway out to the beach. Sorry about your dress. She'll tell you all the details tomorrow, but for now please let her sleep."

It was the most that she had ever heard him say, and he didn't wait for her to return her answer. He simply walked out of the house after a nod to Sasori, who was zoned out on the couch, delved into a book. She stood, looking slightly offended, and slightly shocked about what just occurred.

The redhead could only chuckle at her reaction, and continue reading his book.

As Sasuke glanced back at the window where he knew her room was now, he smiled. A genuine smile, and he knew he couldn't be any happier than this…

?

The redhead seethed, gripping her cup so tight, their were dents in the poor Styrofoam coffee cup. Her eyes burned fire, as she plotted out her plan.

She watched the pink haired girl grab the raven's hand and pull him along. Her figure was slim and delicate, outlined by the beautiful dark dress, while her hair was pinned with elegance and grace to her head.

Karin wasn't just seething…

She was enraged – the bloodlust in her eyes, though melodramatic, felt completely real to her, and she knew what she had to do.

Grinning a very wicked smirk, she knew that she had a perfect plan to fix the problem of _her_ Sasuke being taken by this pink haired bitch once and for all.

?

**A/N: Ahhh what an interesting chapter :) Well now you all know how their date went :) Questions will be cleared up later, I promise. I hope you all enjoyed… Sorry for all the readers who were voting for Itachi/Sakura, but honestly lol why are you reading the story if you aren't prepared for that to happen?**

**Please review! :D**

**-zesty-**


	19. A Different View

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 19: A Different View**

Sakura brushed out her hair one more time. Suddenly, she was fidgety. She wasn't exactly sure if what she was doing was a _good_ thing… Glancing around nervously, she hoped Sasori didn't suddenly waltz into the room.

It was Monday morning, and she had ten more minutes to get ready before her redheaded brother would barge in to wake her up… Well – she would hopefully be gone by then. Though she hated driving it, her poor, unfortunate car would finally get to see daylight today…

Pushing her hair behind her ear, she glanced around. Finding herself looking in a mirror, she had a hard time believing it was really her reflection staring back at her. There was a girl, slender feet slid into wedged heels with a yellow bow. A white min skirt covered _less_ than half of her thigh, and a loud brown belt covered her waist. She adjusted her tight yellow shirt, making sure her strapless bra would stay up, so the sweetheart neckline would look perfect. She blinked outlined eyes – mascara highlighting herl ashes, and shadow tinting her eyelids. Her bangs were swept to the side, the beautiful, normally frizzy locks, straightened and glossed, pinned at the sides.

She saw this girl in front of her (she wasn't sure yet if she was beautiful or not), and the only thing she recognized were the startled emerald eyes staring back at her. Would she really go through with it?

Jumping, she heard shuffling in the hallway and froze – oh no… Sasori…

Leaping towards her door, she slammed her body weight against it, breathing heavily. Would she really leave the house, allowing people in _public_ to see her like this? Shuttering, she heaved a sigh of relief when the bathroom door shut.

She had exactly 3.2 minutes before Sasori finished his daily toilet duty. Whipping open her door, she grabbed this strange strapped bag, "Purse…" She mumbled, gripping it tightly as she stumbled around the hall as though she were drunk.

Booking it down the stairs, she tried to slide by her mother, who _almost _missed her. Her voice was high pitched – so high that perhaps a dog might not even hear her… "Sakura?" She squealed, "In a skirt?" was the following call, but the pinkette ignored her and ran for her car.

Dropping her things in the passenger seat, she quickly turned it on, hearing the clampering around as her mother attempted to get outside. Throwing the car into reverse, she slammed her stiletto foot on the gas, and squealed her tires as she made it out of the drive way – safe and sound…

Her date with Sasuke was just two days ago, and now she felt as though their relationship was _very_ different. Nothing had indeed happened on the beach. She had reached for his belt and undid it, but as soon as it made the slithering noise from his belt loops, she suddenly stopped.

Pulling back, she had blinked at him, staring into his charcoal eyes, and realized what she was doing. Pushing the boy off of her, she sat up, adjusting the straps to her dress. Though she may have jeopardized the entire evening, she snuck a peak at him to see if he was angry. His face looked relieved.

"What's so funny?" She demanded, glaring in his direction.

"I'm glad you stopped…" He breathed out softly, "I didn't want it to be like this for us…"

_Us…_ They were no longer enemies, but nor were they friends. It had gone too far for them to just 'be friends' anymore. This disturbed Sakura… But what disturbed her more, was that she had actually changed – as though she were trying to _impress_ someone.

A sudden pang shot through her, as she slammed on her breaks. She hadn't tried impressing someone… She had dressed like this once before. Biting her lip, she knew she was taking a gamble… Her mind was suddenly filled with memories of Sai, and she spent the rest of the ride to school trying to figure out if this could possibly be repeated with Sasuke.

?

"Why don't you go bother someone else, Dobe?" Sasuke growled, stalking down the hall.

"And then – there was the big tree, and it fell over on top of the –"

He spotted the unfortunate jet black haired girl in the hallway, "Look, it's Hinata…" He shoved the blonde forward, "Go bug her…" He gave another forceful push, and he toppled into the girl.

Sasuke didn't miss the tomato red faces of _both_ the blonde and the black haired girl as they stumbled to stand once more. He tried to escape the dragging story of the cow he hit once more on the farm, weaving through the students towards the entrance of the school.

Suddenly, the doors pushed open, and in walked a stranger. She was tall and slender, hair glossy and as beautiful as silk. Her lips were shined and rosy pink, while her hips swayed to a glorious rhythm only she could hear. The radiance that glowed on this beauty overlooked her identity.

When the doors finally shut, and a few people dropped their books, he recognized the bright emerald eyes behind the façade.

She walked right past every stare, and every eye that stuck to her like glue, and straight to him. A small, nervous smile showed upon her lips. She actually looked… delicate, and… dainty – not to mention, her bad ass theme was completely dropped.

Her heart skipped a beat – was his reaction a good one? She wasn't sure… Hopefully it was.

"You're beautiful…" He complimented, causing her cheeks to flare red, "Just like before…" He whispered, suddenly taking her face within his hands and pulling her in. Another daring mood by Sasuke – it seemed they were both changing somewhat. People gasped, some wolf whistled, and others huffed in jealousy.

Suddenly, the entire Itachi team didn't find this bet funny anymore, except Kisame. He was bursting with hooting laughter, as Tobi actually dropped his books. No one else noticed when they slid from his arms. Itachi's mouth opened, as though to say something witty, but he closed it once more, the trance over taking him too much.

His little brother really was growing up… As Itachi watched the two of them make their public display of affection, something clicked in his mind. No longer was Sasuke thinking directly about the bet. In the midst of the competition, his little brother _had_ indeed done something he hadn't… Fallen for his prey.

Itachi had lost even before it started – for Sakura had also fallen for the younger Uchiha. Smiling slightly, he realized that this was exactly what Sasuke needed. In the reflection of those bold movements, he saw who Sasuke would have grown up to be, had the accident not happened… He knew now, that a girl like Sakura was _exactly_ what his brother needed. She was someone to care for, and focus on, instead of the hate and anger inside of himself…

He nodded slightly to himself. Yes, Itachi had made his decision. He would silently pull himself out of this bet… He would allow Sasuke to win, and pretend it never happened… He would let his brother one up him – just this time, to get the girl who he really wanted…

?

Naruto sat in his desk in the back of the room, barely hearing Kakashi's lecture. He stared at the glossy pink hair cascading down her back. He couldn't believe what was happening. Glancing around, he watched every guy in the class do what he was doing – except with more lust and puppy-love in their eyes. It made him sick…

This was a reply of last year, and the blonde suddenly hissed when he thought of how that ended. She was so hurt, he was certain she would never do something like this again… That's how Sakura was when you got to know her. She felt as though she had to change when someone actually cared about her – that they deserved better, so she would become that person…

This is not what Sasuke deserved… If he was going to suddenly become bold and want to be with her when she was a babe (Naruto wouldn't lie – she was _hot_), then something needed to be done.

Groaning, he slumped over in his desk, shaking his head. He knew neither of them would understand… He'd be pushed to the side as 'stupid Naruto' again and again – no one would believe him.

That's when the bell wrong, and everyone shot out of the class – all but the blonde and the pinkette.

"Sakura…" Naruto wondered closer to her. She turned and smiled brightly at him – at least that hadn't changed.

"Hey! Naruto!"

"You look pretty…"

"Well thanks," she smiled once more, and continued to pack up her papers. "How have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever…"

"Not really I guess…" He shrugged, and glanced around, "What's with all of this?"

"What's with all of what?" She asked, though she knew very clearly what he was talking about.

"You're… You look like one of them…" He mumbled, as she tilted her head.

"You mean I look bad?"

"You know what I mean, Sakura…" He nodded solemnly, and this time looked her in the eyes, "Please tell me you aren't doing this to impress Sasuke…"

"Why would I do that?" She gnawed her lip – the blonde just knew her too well.

"Because you did the same thing with Sai…" She was about to turn to leave, but he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let go, Naruto…" She warned, trying to stay calm.

"I don't want you to get hurt –"

"You were the one telling me that Sasuke wouldn't do that to me!" She snarled at him, shaking him off. Kakashi peaked over his book to see what they were fighting about.

"You're changing again Sakura! You know that's not good… Sasuke liked you fine when you were in jeans and a sweatshirt – why change now?"

"It's not even about him… Maybe I want to look like this!"

"Sakura –" He grabbed her shoulder once more and spun her around. He just wanted to get through to her that this wasn't the way to do things. Apparently she thought differently.

_Smack!_

The noise seemed to echo in the room, and even Kakashi widened his one visible eye in shock. Naruto and Sakura – who seemed to be almost as inseparable as Choji and a bag of chips, were now fighting over something pointless.

Naruto put a delicate hand to his cheek, a hand print clearly visible upon his pale skin. He stared at her wide eyed, and saw that she reflected the same exact expression. "Okay… Do what you want… But dammit, I'm not coming out for you like I did before." He stormed out of the room then, letting the door slam, as Sakura simply stood, dumbfounded.

The next bell rang, and still she stood. Kakashi pushed his chair away from his desk, and pulled out a pass to write her, ensuring her that it would be alright. She turned and looked at him – the teacher she idolized, the teacher who still knew what she was talking about when he was reading his creepy books, and the one who was always there for his students on a personal level if they needed it. Tears suddenly filled her eyes as she became conscious of her bare arms and bare legs.

Was Naruto right?

He handed her the pink slip, and put a hand on her shoulder, delicately – incase she decided to slap him too.

"I won't ask, because I know that you probably don't want to talk about it…" He murmured to her, "But, I would just like to be informed if you're alright or not, so my conscious can go clean the rest of the day."

She nodded, though it was meek and small – just like the way she felt. She had ultimately just pushed her best friend away. "I don't want to push it, so I'll believe you…" His hand slid off of her shoulder as he walked back to his desk. "Don't be shy if you'd like someone to talk to about it, who won't judge or really probably give you any feed back either."

She nodded again, stronger this time, as she pulled up her things in her arms, and walked out of the room.

Sasuke caught her arm immediately and wrapped her up in a hug. He didn't know what happened, but as soon as dobe wouldn't talk to him, he knew where to go… She let him hug her, though didn't return the gesture, as she let out a few sobs. It was a scary thing – seeing the girl in front of him cry.

"It'll be okay…" He told her, as he awkwardly combed through her hair. He wasn't good at any of this.

"Please don't break that word…" She mumbled back. He barely caught it, but did nevertheless, and squeezed her tighter. He wouldn't let it happen.

"Let's get you to class…" He pulled away from her and placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her forward. She put up no signs of a fight.

?

The pinkette had to get more accustomed to the stares. As she entered the lunch room, Sasuke the only one by her side, everyone stopped their conversation and stared. They would walk – their footsteps echoing in the large, spacious room, and slowly sit in a chair, in the most awkward way. Sasuke seemed used to it, but showed no emotion to how Sakura reacted at all.

Naruto was nowhere to be found today – he must have scampered off to some other part of the lunch room, and ever so slowly, Ino came slinking over.

"You look amazing, Billboard!" She smirked and hugged her best friend – the gesture was much appreciated, as she needed all the comfort she could get from this decision.

"Thanks, Pig." She glanced around, and saw that slowly, everyone was going back to their normal conversations. Everyone except the Akatsuki table. Their stares were the most nerve wracking of all, and of course, kept their eyes locked on her for the longest. Eventually though, as she tried to keep her eyes off of them, Itachi went back to his lunch, and everyone slowly did the same.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ino glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" She lied, smiling.

"Yeah, whatever…" the blonde lightly pushed her, "Who have you been staring at for the last ten minutes?" She pressed, leaning forward and wiggling in her seat.

She glanced at the raven sitting, looking just barely mildly interested in the conversation, next to her. "Your brother and his friends have been staring at me since we've gotten in here."

"Hn…" He shrugged, lying through his teeth – he couldn't tell Sakura the truth. He barely remembered the full terms anymore.

"They probably think you're fucking gorgeous!" Ino beamed, "I know everyone else does… You know, I caught Shikamaru looking at you in the hallway," She laughed, "It was so cute because he was really nervous that I was going to be mad!"

Sakura chuckled, rolling her eyes at the statement. Ino would so be like that… Not care if her boyfriend was doing something like that, but actually think it's _cute_ as well.

"Wow! Finally becoming one of us, huh?" The nasty voice made her cringe, as all three of them turned to see Karin.

Surprisingly, she was wearing a decent length skirt, and a simple purple t-shirt. There was nothing slutty about her today – that meant there was something up… "What do you want, cow?" Ino glared, instinctively eyeing her odd choice of dress.

"I simply wanted to come over here, " she tilted her head for added innocence, her crimson eyes wide, "and tell Sakura how stunning she looks today…" A wicked grin suddenly began to sprout on her face, "That's all…"

"Well you just did, so leave," Sakura glared, her eyes narrowing.

"You don't look half as menacing as you used to…" Karin noted, causing pinkette's hand to ball into a fist, "Oh well… Maybe now you might score a boyfriend, because you aren't manlier than them!" All of her posse suddenly began to howl with laughter, and Sakura stood, about ready to punch her in the face.

"What are you going to do? Look what you're wearing, look what I'm wearing… You wouldn't wanna flash anyone any part of yourself, would you?" She raised an eyebrow, giggling at her own point. "Besides, I didn't come here to beat the shit out of you –" Sakura snorted quite verbally at that, "- I came here to invite you to a party… A party at my daddy's mansion, and you and Ino are invited."

"What?" Both girls asked in unison, equally as dumbfounded.

"That's right…" She nodded, and turned to the male in the group, "Sasuke dear, you're looking beautiful today… I wouldn't expect anything less from my future hubbie."

"Hn." Is all he replied with, as she laughed.

"You're so cute!" With that she walked away, on to other tables, inviting people to the party – promising live bands, free food, free alcohol, and a free time… That's the only reason most agreed…

As she finished rounding up the lunch room for the hour, she glanced back once more at the three sitting at one table. Sasuke actually talked to them. Oh! That made her angry! But she didn't have to worry… As soon as she had this party – things would be better…

?

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter finished! I'm excited now! It's getting closer and closer to proooom! :) There's definitely some interesting stuffs on the ways! Keep reading, and…**

**Don't forget to review!**

**-zesty-**


	20. Romeo and Juliet

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 20: Romeo and Juliet**

"Everyone apparently is going…" Ino nodded, walking around the rack, "I don't know, I think it'll be fun… It's not like anyone likes her, but her house is _huge_!"

"I guess you're right…" She shrugged, and moved to the wall, shifting through all of the cloth.

"You know, I'm glad you decided to come to the mall with me looking like you."

Sakura glanced down at herself. She wore a pair of jeans, and a long sleeved purple shirt. Her tennis shoes almost shined with glee at being worn again. It had been two weeks since her fight with Naruto – two weeks since Karin's random invite to her party, and two weeks since she had started breaking her feet in heels every day at school.

"Why?" She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from Ino herself.

"Well…" She thought for a moment, pushing clothes on hangers back, "I don't know, I miss the bad ass Sakura… It's like… You're like me now."

"Is that a bad thing? Haven't you always told me you wished I was?"

"Not like this though…" The pinkette could tell she was thinking about the incident with Sai last year. Inhaling, she puffed out some breath and stopped.

"I know you think I'm doing this just because of Sasuke…"

"You are, aren't you?" She spoke quickly, "Don't get me wrong, you're beautiful Sakura, but you were without all of that stuff too…"

"I know…" She flinched at the blonde's words – Naruto had basically said the same thing to her fourteen days ago…

They hadn't talked since then – they hadn't even looked at each other…

"Sakura…" The voice was almost pained as they turned around, "Why in the world have you been in here this long? Can't you just pick something so we can go home? I have things to do today…" Sasori sighed, having clothing laid over his arm.

"Hey! What'd you get?" She asked, a look of glee on her face. She pulled it away from him and opened it, then raised an eyebrow, "A pirate?"

"Could you not see me as one?"

The girls glanced at each other, "No…" Sakura shook her head after looking at her again. "We have to find you something to wear that isn't going to make you look like a total idiot…"

"Ooo!" Ino squealed, running over to the men's section of the store.

Karin's party was that very night, and they were at the mall trying to find costumes. She had decided a week ago that the party was going to have costumes – it was a week ago that Ino had finally convinced Sakura to actually go.

"I have an idea!" Her face beamed as she pulled a costume down. It was a tuxedo-looking costume with a long black cape and high back collar. On the inside of the cape was crimson red, and it was complete with a bow tie, and shiny shoes. "You could be a vampire!" She gasped, her eyes sparkling.

Both Sakura and Sasori gasped, one in pure realization of a wonderful idea, the other in pure realization of terrible horror.

"Yes! Sasori! That would be _perfect_ for you!" Sakura pulled him over, and dug through the rack for his size, "Pleeeease try it on! Please!"

He sighed in defeat, knowing his little sister had won over, as he took it and dragged himself to the dressing room.

"I've got it! I know what I want to do!" She gasped, her eyes twinkling. She ran over to the wall and plucked off a small white dress with a package behind it, "I want to be an angel!" She giggled, as she found her size, and matching white boots with it.

Sakura laughed as she watched her friend scamper into the dressing room. She would wait to find her costume for when both the others were satisfied. She didn't need anything spectacular – just something that would gain her entrance to the party.

Ino was the first out, because she had an incredible amount _less_ to put on. The dress went half way down her thighs, while the dress hugged all of her curves. It was swoop neck, with a completely open back, showing her gorgeous, silky skin. The sleeves clung to her arms until mid forearm, where it suddenly became wide and flared. The only part of her back that was covered was the spot for the wings. They spread outward with glitter and sparkles, feathers lining the soft edges. The boots reached her knees, shiny, with tall heels on the back.

"There's a halo too, but I'm not quite sure how to put it on…" She laughed, and walked out, "So… What do you think?"

"I love it," Sakura smiled, gesturing for the blonde to spin around, "Shikamaru is going to love it too!" She giggled – the giddiness in her voice slightly forced when she thought about the couple.

Ino didn't know how lucky she was. She had a guy, though lazy and lacking kind of a lot of praise, who made it clear that he wanted to be with her. They hadn't spoken of it – they weren't that kind of couple, but they were declared, and Shikamaru made it very clear to everyone else, whether Ino knew it or not, that she was his, and that wasn't going to change because she was a bit of a flirt.

Sakura on the other hand was stuck between worlds. She had thought that things with her and Sasuke would progress forward, but unfortunately, he hadn't said a thing about actually dating her. This made her try harder – the little extra mascara, and the slightly lower cut shirt – it was difficult to comprehend what was happening to her. She didn't like doing it – she wished that she knew exactly what was going on.

She did, however know, that it wasn't because of her change in style that he wasn't dating her… and he still treated her as though he liked her… _a lot_, so therefore she would simply have to wait and see. She was happy at the moment, that's all that mattered…

"I can't believe you made me put this on…" Sasori groaned, pushing open the dressing room door.

He looked taller and older, and a hell of a lot creepier. Sakura burst out laughing, but Ino began to squeal, "It looks perfect! Sasori! There is no better costume to describe… well… you!"

"Great."

The pinkette watched her brother's scared eyes slowly shift to her, and immediately she put her hands forward and shook them, "Oh no, you aren't dragging me into this one… I think you look…" She knew her words would cause him to cringe, "_cute_."

Groaning, he was about to turn around to go back into the dressing room, when his sister spoke once more, "You know, you should get that though… Despite looking cute, if I weren't your sister, I would date you…" He turned, and glared at her suspiciously, but she only shrugged and blinked innocently, before Ino dragged her off (still clad in her angel outfit) to find her own costume.

Sasori shook his head at his little sister. She may have been going through what he figured was a pretty rough, and highly confusing, patch of her sophomore year, but she would always have that spice of Sakura – no matter how different she looked.

"So… What can you be…" Ino chewed on her lip as she wondered around the wracks, Sakura dragging behind her. "Do you have any idea what you want to do?" She smiled brightly at the pinkette, who merely shrugged.

"I don't really know, Pig… I mean – I guess this stupid party isn't really important to me."

"You'll always be Sakura," She beamed with a laugh. Sorting through some more outfits, she pulled out a short, beautiful light blue dress. "Sakura…" She uttered as though something very threatening were in front of them.

"What?" Her friend barked, turning around from her costume seeking (currently checking out a grim reaper outfit).

Ino held out the lovely dress and smiled, "Fairy."

Part of Sakura wanted to puke, but she didn't know what part that was… The majority of her though, thought it would be the ultimate adorable costume – she'd probably look cuter than Ino! She had always wanted to be a fairy for Halloween when she was young, and despite her mother getting her whatever she wanted that was a dress when it came to clothing, she would never allow her daughter to be a fairy for Halloween.

Slowly, a smile spread across her face like peanut butter to toast, and soon, a full-fledged grin was on her face. "Let's do it!"

The gown was baby blue, strapless, and unlike Ino's dress with a clear cut hem, this one seemed to flow down in triangles, much like a Tinkerbell dress. Mountains at the bottom of the fabric, one triangle hanging down, and another cut out, and sequence, glitter, and jewels found their way around the top of the dress, all the way down the side to the bottom. It was slim fitting, except if one twirled in it, the bottom flaps would fly up.

They found gorgeous blue and white sparkling wings, that when placed on Sakura's back, truly made her look as though she could really fly. The tips of the wings curved inwards, creating half of a spiral shape. Ino, and all of her skill in fashion, picked out cute, little blue shoes with a bow on them to go with the outfit. Scurrying over to the make up, they picked up some stuff for Sasori, a set of fangs, white face paint (like he needed it) some long lasting eye-liner, and dark, scary, crimson contacts to make his eyes look more fierce and intense. For Ino, they pulled out pink eye shadow and fake eyelashes, a light pink shade of lip gloss and rosy blush. She even pulled out the most adorable hoop earrings she swore she had ever seen.

As for Sakura, she bought glitter, and decided she would make due with the make up she had at home. Ino bought her a pair of fake eyelashes anyways.

The party was tonight, and they had only a few hours to look absolutely stunning… Ino was prepared to make it happen.

?

Bright, neon colored lights erupted from the house. Loud music shook the windows in their car as they pulled in. Each and every person was dressed in wild costumes, some not even recognizable. There was a large group of people who were anxious to see who would come out of the upcoming vehicles slowly pulling into the drive.

No one was lying to Sakura when they told her Karin's mansion was _huge_. That might have even been an understatement… This place was gigantic! Fountains and more flowers than the girl could probably even name, elaborate staircases and marble statues, expensive glass wear, and sometimes furniture that was being used for the first time tonight.

She pushed open the car door, and her eyes already shining. Emerald eyes shifted around the area and Ino ran up next to her. The two gaped at the finishing touches of the party, and gasped as they began walking forward.

Sasori was behind them in a moment, steering them in the right direction. Anyone who wasn't a senior had never been to Karin's house – her oldest brother threw one last bash before he graduated, only a select few seniors (then they were freshmen) were picked to go. All of the Akasuki had gone, and a few other random people. The redheaded girl decided not to throw a party again in the house until she knew she could top it… Tonight could potentially be the night.

This wasn't a normal costume party of ghouls and ghosts… Sasori, Ino, and Sakura already had vampire, angel, and fairy covered… There were maids, salt and pepper shakers, playboy bunnies (courtesy of Karin plus goons), lions, tigers, and bears.

"Oh my…" Sakura couldn't even finish her sentence. She was stunned by the amount of creativity there was. Those were simply surface costumes. There were jugglers, circus performers, giant crayons, burglars, princesses, knights, witches, trees, and someone even dressed up as Kakashi. Wait… maybe that was Kakashi…

"Look at all the people!" Ino shrieked.

"What?" Sakura yelled back, equally, if not more, loud.

"_Look at all the people!"_ She yelled when a song stopped playing. Everyone turned to stare at her, and she gasped, waving and soaking in the attention.

"Friends! Enemies! Dorks, Akasuki, and everyone in between! I want you to have a wonderful time at this party tonight!" Karin decided to make her big entrance down the central staircase. "Use any sort of room – there's something to do in all of them, all the food is free, the beer is cold, and don't forget that there's plenty more where that came from! There's a pool with pretty lights, and who knows, maybe some dorks want to 'swim' in it!" She laughed out loud, and there weren't that many who laughed with her, but it didn't phase the girl.

"Thank you all for coming – but why am I thanking you? Come thank me at any time during the night for being _invited_ to the biggest blow out party of the year!" She yelled, causing, this time, _everyone_ to cheer. Sakura even found herself screaming a little too.

Sasori bid them good-bye and wandered off on his own. Shikamaru came by shortly, and they all danced together for a while. That is, until Sakura was tapped on the shoulder by Sasuke.

He glowed with pure perfection tonight… He wore black skinny jeans and black converse, with a black and blue striped long sleeved shirt. His hair was pretty much normal, but sexy looking eyeliner lined his eyes, and he wore a long, dog tag necklace, with a few rings. His nails were painted black, and he raised an eyebrow at her expression.

"What are you supposed to be? Sasuke in girl form?"

"I would have been much more creative had I been Sasuke in girl form, Pinkie." She grumbled for a moment because of the nickname, "I wouldn't have been able to get to you there would have been so many guys swarming me."

"Oh whatever," she rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm one of those… What do you call them?" He tilted his head for a moment, "Emo kids?"

She began to laugh – Sasuke had always had that kind of aura around him, and now he was simply bringing it out. He was one of those that would look adoringly sexy, but it still was an odd concept to take in anyways.

"Are you laughing at what my costume is?"

"You're so uncreative!" She howled with laughter, "That's pretty much you every day!"

"Hn." He crossed his arms. She giggled and pulled him out of the heated room and up the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"Just out of this room… It's so hot!" She complained.

"You look interesting tonight." She figured it was a compliment, and didn't say anything back. "Sakura." After a few more minutes, he said her name, and it sounded as though it were all serious.

"Yeah?" She questioned, eyes widening a little – perhaps this was what she was waiting for.

"Let go of my hand and let me walk beside you. The wings are hitting me in the face."

A deep blush bloomed on her face, though it was very plausible one could not see it – and she immediately dropped his hand, "Sorry." Once he was at her side again, she glanced away, but it only took a few more seconds for his hand to find hers again.

"There… That's better…"

It was surprising to see Sasuke… did she dare say it? _Happy_ in public. She was awed.

They passed what looked like Naruto and a pang of guilt struck her heart. She listened to his conversation for only a moment.

"I dressed up as a ninja! Haha!" He laughed and jumped around, rolling on the floor.

"Me too!" Some person yelled to him, "Let's fight!"

At least Naruto was putting up a good fight… She didn't know if he was happy, or as miserable as she when he thought about it. When she turned away though, he stopped and stared at the two going by, sadness filling his eyes.

Obviously, she didn't have a clue…

?

Kisame watched with interest as Itachi danced haughtily with a brunette. He wondered why there hadn't been much activity on the older Uchiha's part in this dare.

Prom was only a few short weeks away, and it was going to be very inconvenient if one of them decided to stop trying. It seemed in the beginning, Sasuke had no interest, and now the roles had reversed. Tilting his head to the side, he watched as the dark haired senior planted his hands on her hips and steadied her closer to him. Her short, ballerina outfit was rubbing against his jacket – though the strange, blue skinned friend of Itachi's could quite understand what he was yet.

That was the least of his problems. Itachi hadn't… given up? Had he… Perhaps he would have to begin a rumor to get the Uchiha to start up again on this dare… That the kid was actually losing his spunk – that he wasn't as charming as everyone thought he was – that he wasn't perfect and sexy as everyone thought.

"Kisameeeee!" The high pitched, though male voice, caused him to cringe. He turned slowly, away from his subject-matter, and watched as the masked figure came towards him.

Only this mask was no longer a giant orange swirl. Instead it was yellow, with small, button like, charcoal eyes, and a black nose. Kisame was hesitant to reply – maybe he should just pretend that he didn't hear Tobi and walk away.

Arms slung around his neck without warning as he was pulled into a creepily warm hug. Too late…

"Kisameeeee! I've miiissed you!" The voice was so loud, a few people stopped to stare, "Diedera has abandoned poor Tobi!"

The Akasuki member shoved off the other boy, and glanced at him up and down. He was in a bright yellow, cotton jumpsuit with a tail, the top being brown. "Are you dressed up as Pikachu, Tobi?"

"Ahhhh!" He laughed, "How did you know?" Though he couldn't see the grin on the other one's face (he was never able to anyways), he could simply imagine the other teenager's lips twitch upward.

"Did they let you get a hold of alcohol?"

"Ohhhh, Tobi do not know…" He shrugged his shoulder, laughing and leaning against Kisame again, "What does Kisame look for? Are you jealous of Sasoriii?" He laughed.

The boy glanced around and saw a horrible sight in his eyes. There was the redhead, looking even more dazzling than he normally did, dancing with a girl Kisame had been trying to get to know (inside and out) for the past two months. She had put up a good fight, but he was finally climbing over her walls, but that right there, causing him to clench his fists together and glare.

A few people who were in his line of sight, and actually noticed, scampered out of the way, not wanting to get hit with the death ray speeding towards them. Suddenly, a hand struck out of nowhere and wrapped itself around Tobi's neck.

"Ia-ya! Tobi can't breeeeathe!" He coughed into his mask, "Kisame-saaaan! Let me gooo!"

His sharp eyes fell onto the button eyes of the mask, "Tobi…" He narrowed his eyes, "You let Sasori know that this is crossing the line…" He snarled and shoved off the unfortunate goof, stalking away.

His revenge would come tonight, and he knew just the way to piss off the eldest Haruno…

?

Sakura panted as she fell onto the bed, but sat up again right away. She and Sasuke had just spent the last two hours dancing constantly. Each song was faster than the last, and eventually she had to pull him away. It was just too much. Glancing around the room, she figured it was a guest bedroom – due to the lack of personal items inside.

He sat down next to her, his cheeks flaming red. He was extremely exhausted as well, and they both looked at each other and laughed.

"I need something to drink," He stated, standing up, "I'll bring you something back?"

"Sure," she nodded and smiled, watching him as he walked out of the room. His hair had gone back to it's normal style (who knew it was that hard to cooperate with), and the curls had mostly fallen out of her hair. She watched as he slid past people, and leaned back on her hands to inhale deeply.

"Getting mighty comfortable with him, huh?" Sakura's head snapped back up to see Karin standing, almost _shyly_, in the doorway.

"What's it to you, Karin?" She spit the girl's name; she was never anything good, and the pinkette was suspicious.

The girl bit her lip, "You know Sasuke doesn't even like you."

"Oh god, here we go –"

"It's a bet, Sakura…" The redhead tried to hold back a smile, "All of this has been a bet… Everyone in school knows about it except like… five people."

?

**A/N: A cliffhanger oh no! :D This, I have been waiting to write this for the **_**longest**_** time lol I don't think anyone has any idea :D Anyways… I hope you all liked the chapter!**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**-zesty-**


	21. Hurt

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: AHHHH thank you everywhere! 11 reviews! The MOST I've ever gotten in a chapter ever (Besides oneshots) thanks! I'll continue the story even so muc h faster if all of you who reviewed, reviewed again… Keep them up there, because they inspire me to write! I love you all!**

**Chapter 21: Hurt**

"What are you talking about?" She questioned harshly, "What _bet_?"

"The bet was for Sasuke and Itachi…" She shrugged, this time a bit nonchalant – Sakura's heart clenched, "To see who could make you all pretty and take you to prom… I'd say Sasuke's definitely winning… I wonder if you falling completely head over heels was part of this bet?"

She shook her head, "I don't believe you." She was lying to herself – there was something terribly suspicious now, about the behavior of the brothers a few weeks ago.

"It's true…" This time it was a new voice, and both swiveled to the door to see who it was. "I was, after all, the one who _issued_ the bet."

"What?" Sakura blinked, "But Sasori –"

"Sasori is stealing my girl, Sasori is stealing Itachi's friendship from me –"

"Christ you're like a girl!" Sakura spat and stood, "I can't believe he's friends with you!"

"I don't think you understand what we're both telling you… You see, I hadn't a clue that Karin was going to come tell you this – like such a good person she is, until I met her on the way up here. I was going to break the news to you, I was getting bored of the bet…" He shrugged, "Itachi has simply stopped trying."

The girl froze in her tracks, and watched him, "Why would you do that?"

"It's nothing personal towards you, darling… Personally? I've always thought you were fucking hot…" He shrugged, "But unfortunately you were in the line of fire when I wanted to get back at your brother…"

"You're lying…"

"Why else would Sasuke go from calling you an insignificant bitch, to beautiful, and gorgeous, and all that is obviously not true. You're beauty from the last two weeks has been _fake_, Sakura." Karin glared, "Sasuke obviously needs someone who's beautiful all the time!"

When she thought about it, it was two against one right now…

Sasuke had hated her, as had Sakura to him when he had first moved here. Slowly though, awkward progression and physically charming nature turned into something a little more tolerable. She thought he genuinely cared about her… He had asked her on a date – they had kissed, he had held her hand and walked with her, been there for her at her weakest moment…

All of it was a lie? 

"I know it seems like he cared… He's like that a lot though…" She smirked, "Just last week, me and him –"

"What?" She glared; there had been that period of about three days that she hadn't seen or heard from Sasuke at all…

Tears slowly began to form in the girls eyes. "No…" she mumbled – she was _not_ going to cry. She wasn't going to cry over a stupid mistake. Was this going to be a yearly thing? Glaring, she stared right into the girl's eyes. "Get out."

"This is my –"

"_Get out!_" She screamed, and Karin scoffed and turned, walking out in her slutty bunny outfit. Kisame shrugged and followed her out.

Sakura stood, her fists clenching and unclenching, as she debated what to do – what to believe. She was so confused, and glancing around, she wondered if things would be okay… How would she react when she saw the boy again?

Well, it was time to test that hypothesis.

"I know you hate orange, so I went into that creepy pantry – I thought for sure someone was going to come out and rape me, so I had to find a kni – hey… What's wrong?" he handed her the drink, and noticed how her fingers turned immediately white when she gripped it.

Suddenly, a backlash happened like a flash before his eyes, and he ended up wet and smelling like fruit punch. She had thrown her giant cup at him, soaking his face and clothes, setting a stickiness all over him.

"You asshole!" She screamed at him, "You – you're… Stupid, and terrible, and how could you even take _part_ in something like that!" She shoved him back, "I thought – I actually _trusted _you!" She yelled, shoving him back again, "You're nothing but a jerk, just like I thought in the beginning…"

She turned and stormed out, and left Sasuke's charcoal eyes blinking in confusion.

Where did this possibly come from? Partake in _what_? Suddenly he froze. Someone had told Sakura about the bet.

"Sakura!" He yelled, running out of the room.

Things quieted down quickly in their path, as they watched where the two were going. The most gorgeous boy at school, beating out all freshmen through seniors, and the most gorgeous and kick ass girl in school, beating out even people like Karin and Ino…

He caught up with her quickly and grabbed her arm. Suddenly a fist came around and nailed him in the side of the cheek, "Don't fucking touch me ever again!" She screamed, yanking her arm away, trying to flee once more.

There were murmurs and screams in the crowd, and once he tried to move again, suddenly Shikamaru was holding him back, shoving at him to make him leave her alone. Sasuke shoved, and punched Shikamaru, causing Ino and scream and try to bound forward.

Sasori grabbed her shoulders, and then her waist to hold her back, so she didn't get caught in the physical fray. Shikamaru shoved him against the wall and punched him, only getting a kick to the stomach. Even though the breath was knocked out of him, he elbowed Sasuke in the ribs, digging the point of his elbow as violently into them as he could, and shoved his palm against his nose. Luckily, to avoid a break, Sasuke dodged sideways, Shikamaru's hand putting a hole in the wall altogether. The raven haired teen knocked Sakura's defense on the ground, and straddled him, starting to beat his face as hard as he could – he was taking it out on Shikamaru as though he were the one who told her.

It didn't last long though, because Shikamaru had him flipped, and being the great thinker he was, it was by the stairs leading down to the sitting area. He shoved him down them, causing Sasuke to be dazed. When the boy leapt up in an attempted pursuit, Naruto grabbed him around the waist, along with Kiba, and a couple other people, to try and hold the two back.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Shikamaru demanded. Him and Sakura weren't as close as perhaps they could be, due to him dating her best friend, but he still cared about her and would protect her with everything he had.

"I didn't do anything!" He screamed back, causing people to jump.

"We all know that's a lie," Karin stated, almost seductively – ridiculous in this situation. "Come on Sasuke, you've been playing her in that ridiculous bet for about a month now – don't tell me that you're suddenly going to pretend you liked her."

He froze. Everyone stared at him. That's when the people involved discovered that actually not a lot of people in the school knew about it. People liked Sakura, and though Sasuke was gorgeous, all the guys were jealous – someone would have told her.

"I'll hold him, Shikamaru go ahead and punch him again," Naruto spoke ominously, and sounded much older than he truly was. He was pissed.

"What bet?" Sasori asked, allowing his hands to slip off the blonde's shoulders, so she could run to Shikamaru, and help him sit down.

"The bet!" Karin shrieked, "Did no one know about it?" She laughed, "Who could doll up Sakura Haruno and take her to prom? Who would win over her sour attitude, and change her from a man to an actual girl… Sasuke, or Itachi?"

Sasori turned on Itachi faster than a fly on a horse, as he lunged. He only landed a punch before people stopped him as well. Itachi did nothing to fight back – he wasn't angry, he was ashamed that this had happened.

"Why would you do that?" Some random guy piped up from the crowd.

"Why wouldn't you tell her sooner? How could you be so mean about it? What if that happened to you?" People shot at Karin. Suddenly, large amounts of accusing questions shot towards the main part of the crowd.

Sasuke allowed himself to hang limp on the other's arms. In the past couple of weeks, he had tried to get to know them to a certain extent, to make Sakura happy, and to fit in with people a little more – to make everyone a little happier. He finally, was starting to let go of the bitterness, especially when he noticed that Itachi had laid down the bet, in order to allow Sasuke what he wanted…

But now, everything was messed up, and he didn't know exactly what he should do…

?

The sound of the water was calming. _Back and fourth, back and fourth_. She wished she lived on a beach. She could just lie there all day, in the warm sand, and stare at the beauty of the water. It would be peaceful, and nothing would bother her.

Things like _this_ wouldn't happen…

Her shoes dangled on two of her fingers, and she wouldn't be surprised if they fell from the dock and into the water. Though as she glanced at the beautiful blue heels, she realized she didn't care. In fact, she retracted her fingers and let them slip into the cool liquid. That wasn't her… It's not what she wanted.

She suddenly felt bare, her arms and legs exposed far more than she was comfortable with. Her hair was pinned, and she began to yank at it, trying to get all the pins out. The lovely clips had sparkling jewels attached to them, fake, but beautiful nevertheless.

She watched them sparkle as she threw them into the water as well. If she had other means of clothing, she would have thrown the whole _dress_ in the water. It was time she went home… She didn't belong at parties, or in revealing clothing… Make up didn't belong on her fake, and her hair wasn't meant to be shining. She wasn't meant to be her mother's daughter – rather, her brother's best friend when no one else was around…

Slowly, she figured she should pick herself up and get home, but she didn't have the energy to physically do it.

Quite frankly, she was a mess.

She wondered what kind of havoc she had left in her wake, but she didn't care. Slowly, her eyes closed, shielding her emerald orbs from the beauty of the night sky. The starts twinkled and winked at her, as the trees whispered in a slow, warm breeze. Her fingers dangled in the water, barely touching it, but enough where the soothing feeling washed over her tired body.

Taking in a deep breath, she opened her eyes, and adjusted herself. She was laying on her back on the wooden, creaking dock, her hand dangling into the very water she had just thrown her accessories into. If only she could get up and walk, she wanted to be home in her bed.

She wanted to go back to wearing her skinny jeans and sweatshirts, so she could pull up her hood when it was raining, instead of trying to shield her long legs with the tiny jacket she wore that day.

The girl missed long, random talks with Naruto in the ramen shop, laughing and not worry about the troubles of the idiotic world. She missed Sasori and her going to the mall simply to make fun of those who spent thousands on clothes all the time. She truly pitied those people, and yet she became one of them in a matter of two days.

Shaking her head she sluggishly stood up. The water glittered calmly, and she remembered how her brother and she used to jump into the water with crazy posture and wiggle around when the fish came near. Turning her back on the dock, she slowly walked away.

When she was almost at the end, she whipped around and took off at a dead sprint, until she got close enough to the edge to spring off the dock. A giant splash engulfed her ears, as water blurred her vision. Shooting back up to the surface, her hair clung to her, and she felt the dress material soak up water like a sponge.

Kicking slightly, the coolness washed over her like a wave, and she floated on her back for a while, as she watched the sky from a different perspective. Now it danced, as she floated, never staying still.

The stars twirled when she moved, not a cloud in sight. That was something wonderful about the girl – she was never scared of what would come – never backing down from a challenge, and she did things that normal girls would never do in a million years. Smiling, Sakura knew she wanted things to go back to the way they were, and though she was hurting, and though the pinkette knew she would be for a while to come – she wouldn't show it. She would be strong…

Turning over onto her stomach, in a few quick strokes, she was back to the shore, pulling herself out again, and onto the dock. It was warm against her now cool skin, and she laid back down on it to dry off.

Though that got old pretty quickly. The later it got, the more the breeze waved, blowing over her and sending chills down her spine. Sitting up, she looked around at her new sanctuary for one last time, and pushed off the wood, slowly moseying away.

She felt calmer – not any less hurt, but calm enough to go home and to sleep without crying her eyes out. She promised she wouldn't cry, and she intended to keep that promise.

?

Sasuke dragged his feet up the steps to their house. Itachi yanked open the door and held it for his little brother to walk inside. The two collapsed on the steps down into their living room and sat together, though stayed silent.

It seemed like it was them against the world – just as it had been that terrible night… Only this time, Itachi didn't know what Sasuke would do…

The older Uchiha got up and walked into the kitchen. When he came back he sat back down and turned to his brother. "Ice?"

Sasuke took it gratefully and laid back, dropping it on his face. Itachi sat and fiddled with his hands, equally as exhausted about what had happened.

"That definitely wasn't the way I expected the night to go…" Itachi remarked softly, in an attempt to get the sophomore to talk to him.

"Hn…" Sasuke retorted, muffled by the bag of ice. That was the way the younger boy agreed with him.

The senior rubbed his tired eyes, "You fell in love with her, didn't you?" he wanted to know for sure – he wanted to know his suspicions were real, and he didn't make a mistake.

Sasuke lifted the ice pack and glared at his brother. Itachi shrugged and glanced away. "Don't push Naruto and Sakura away, like you did to me…"

It was quiet in the room for a moment, before Sasuke sat up and glared at his brother. Through all of the years of Itachi's attempts, the only thought in the boy's tunnel vision mind was '_Itachi is wrong.'_ Coming back home began to open up the tunnel, to see people like Naruto in his own habitat and Sakura, and the others – and right now, he was the most optimistic he had ever been since he was seven years old…

Itachi was right…

And that's what caused him to get up, pissed as hell, and stomp up the stairs. He didn't want to admit that the older Uchiha was having an influence over him again. He didn't want to think about it…

Walking into his room he flopped onto the bed and forced his eyes to stay shut. He wanted to lift away from this wretched world, and have time to himself.

He would try to fix this – he just had no idea how…

?

Sasori quietly knocked on his sister's door. When there was no reply, he very slowly creaked it open, and saw her inside.

She was sitting by the window with her Ipod on, headphones in her ears as she mouthed the words to her favorite songs. She brushed quick strokes against the canvas, and he smiled, quite surprised that she wasn't angry.

Sakura had always had the mind set not to cry. It was just something about her that she persistently wished not to let people see her weaknesses. Now was most likely one of those times. The girl was strong, and no doubt was Sasori's sister. They were both so alike in the very ways of calm anger, though sometimes Sakura had to fight to keep hers in check.

He was undoubtedly proud of what she had did tonight – punching that Uchiha loser in the face before he could woo her back into submission. She would definitely get a pat on the back for that. But he tilted his head as he watched her paint, wondering actually how hurt she was, even if she wouldn't let anyone know it.

Shutting the door almost silently, he walked down the hallway to his room, and began rubbing the make up off of his face. He was tired, and no doubt, everything would have to wait until morning… He just hoped she'd be alright the rest of the night.

?

**A/N: Well! What an interesting chapter! I feel sort of bad for Sasuke, but that's totally overrun with the amount of irritation I feel towards him and Karin. What a bitch she is. Lol anyways…**

**Please leave me your comments, questions, and remarks! :D**

**-zesty-**


	22. Kakashi's Intervention

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 22: Kakashi's Intervention**

Waves of sunlight splashed onto her face as she walked. The weekend had floated by her, and she could barely touch the moments as they passed, though part of her mind had no intentions of doing so. The birds chirped loudly, as though they were chipper that a storm had finally blown over.

Yes – the storm of high school mistakes perhaps. She was done doing that definitely. Closing her eyes for a moment, she stopped walking and felt the sidewalk beneath her converse. It was nice to be back – hot weather, and the skinniest jeans possible. She loved it.

Reopening her eyes, she watched people flutter in and out of the building. They were soaking in the golden rays – happily chattering among themselves – everything seemed normal, so she sucked in a breath and continued her walk forward.

A breeze pushed her frizzy hair over her shoulder, signaling like a white flag that she was approaching. That's when the weird started…

Everyone stopped in her path, moving out of the way, and staring at her as she went. Her hands tightened around her back pack, but she held her head high, her emerald eyes staring forward with no regret or hesitation.

"Sakura."

The voice swirled the warmth of her body, and slowly sucked it out, as though some of her soul were going with it. Chills crept down her spine, and spread, tendrils stretching down her arms and legs.

Inhaling a sharp breath, she turned slowly, cautiously – her walls had thickened, and _he_ was nowhere near them anymore.

Cold, emerald eyes met hardened charcoal, and a sudden clash occurred that caught him off-guard. He realized then something about Sakura he had never noticed before… Sure, it was obvious she wasn't like other girls… She had morals, didn't care about her looks, had a rather stand-off attitude that attracted him to her all the more… But this was different – a vulnerable side to her masked with a personality trait he held himself.

She never backed down.

The name tasted like venom on her tongue, and the thought of speaking it out loud made her throat go dry. But without a flicker of her vision to the left, clearing her throat, or licking her lips, her voice came out strong and independent, just as she wanted.

"Sasuke."

Most of the onlookers gasped. Everyone's mouths hung open, and no one dared to blink in fear of missing something more. That was by far the thing that could hurt the raven haired boy the most – and everyone knew it…

It was a simple word – not even something in the dictionary, but a name… It was cold, but calm and collected, as though nothing had ever been done to her personally. The weather had changed from bright and sunny, to an ice storm ready to murder…

When nothing more was said, she turned her back on him, and walked slowly away, as though she didn't have a care in the world. Not those who stood on Sakura's side, nor those who stood on Sasuke's seemed to smirk in triumph over the near-collision.

Sasori hadn't missed it though… He was surely the only one who knew Sakura enough to watch for the signs – she was dangerous… He watched as her finger twitched in the slightest fashion, probably invisible to the normal human eye of an onlooker. She was out for blood – she was furious that he had confronted her, even more so at how quickly he did so.

The day would be an interesting one, though Sasori had no intentions of interfering with anything – he didn't wish to be in her path once she struck, nor did he want to have to make a move if the Uchiha didn't leave her alone.

Closing his eyes, he turned and walked inside, being the first to break the long columns of people who wished to stop and witness the drama sure to unfold.

?

Kakashi glanced up. His own charcoal eye watched one walk into the room. He seemed highly furious today, and his sapphire eyes gleamed with a crimson fire – something must of happened that he just found out about.

The next came in only a few minutes later. The cloud above his head poured down on him, and his shoulders slumped in a frightful way. He looked horrible today – though he doubted any high school student could see that. His skin had lost colorful life, and the dark circles under his eyes grew strong and deep. He must have been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

Before he had time to connect the dots, the third figure came in. An angry aura rolled off of her in _waves_. Kakashi didn't have to be psychic to realize that she was angry and hurt, but her guard was high off the charts, and he knew no one else could detect the pain underneath her thick armor. He raised an eyebrow at her second change of appearance, reflecting on her past attitude towards life. Tilting his head a little, he watched all three, and the sense of stillness they brought to the room. Some scooted away from Naruto, surprisingly there were no girls daring to fawn over Sasuke, and people glanced at Sakura in fear and worry.

Clearing his throat, an idea suddenly popped into his head. "Okay… Since today is special, and many of the teachers have meetings, we're going to be in homerooms until lunch. After lunch, you'll go to the auditorium for a pep rally and presentation."

"A pep rally for what?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Hell if I know."

"Why are we having a presentation?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see…" He smirked under his masked face – no one was ever curious as to why he wore it – after all… Look at _some_ of the people in their school.

The mood shifted towards the front of the class as Kakashi opened a drawer. Out from this drawer he pulled a ball. It was like a dodge ball, except smaller, and it was a lovely forest green color.

Peaked with interest, the class sat up a little straighter. "So, for the first time in your short high school careers I'm going to be a teacher and a guide… Like most teachers strive to be, but very few in our school achieve."

The class laughed, the murmur rising and falling, eagerness settling over them like fog.

"Everyone get up and stand in a circle. He watched as the three split up hastily within the group, their peers shoving to be away from the three as much as possible. He stood at the front, "There's a great deal of times in life when you're going to need to be alert and understanding of those around you…

"Life can't simply be about _you_. Though you may think that hiding things, and breaking off ties is a wise thing to do, it's not good at all. You may think that you're breaking a bond with someone, and you're clean off the slate, but then a new type of bond is formed – you become enemies, foreign in each other's minds."

He watched the group of students tilt their heads, though some glanced across the room to other people.

"This exercise, I can already feel, will help many of you…" He tossed the ball back and forth between his gloved hands and stared down his students individually, "When you're tossed the ball, say someone in the group's name you have something to say to. And don't say that you don't have anything to say, because I know… for I was young at some point too, that whenever they speak, or make gestures, or do something, there's that prickle of a thought in your mind that replies, though you would never say it out loud. There's going to be no penalty for swearing, or being mean – you're all in high school, therefore should all be able to speak your mind without punishment, however… the person you're speaking to gets one statement to defend themselves. If they'd like to continue the argument, they can throw it back to you…"

He tossed the ball to a random student with fair hair and pale skin. She glanced around, her violet eyes wondering. No one was quite sure what they were supposed to do, and more students than not continued to glance at Kakashi.

Moments turned to minutes, ticking by as she shifted her weight from one foot to another, before the teacher cleared his throat. "Toss the ball here Tsukiko…" She sighed and threw it back to him. He scanned the room, and again threw it back to her, taking the initiative, "You're a very stunning student, Tsukiko…" He started, "Though I wish you would assert yourself more to show off your natural talents." He raised an eyebrow as her face drained, then lit up crimson. "Does everyone understand what they're supposed to be doing now?"

Still the girl didn't move, her face bright, and a few people snickered at her. One boy decided he would help her out. "Tsukiko…" She looked around for the source, and found it had been her ever-lasting crush… a boy named Daisuke. His chocolate hair hung in front of his honey eyes, and he held out his strong hands for the ball.

She blinked, wondering what would be the consequence if she took Kakashi up on this offer, and finally told her crush how she felt about him. It would be the biggest step she'd ever taken in life. Biting her lip, she tossed him the ball slowly, and everyone leaned forward just a little, anticipating what she would say. "Daisuke…" She breathed out, her cheeks flaring a dark, rosy color, "I've had a crush on you for as long as I can remember!" She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

Only, even people that followed Karin, and people who didn't give a rat's ass about the world like Sakura, all had one thing in common. "Awwwwwww" 's followed her confession, and a couple of boys scorned with jealousy. Opening her stunning jade eyes, shock engulfed her features.

Daisuke, completely stunned, tossed the ball back to her, which she fumbled to catch. But instead of saying anything to her, he strode quickly across the circle, and placed on hand on the back of her head. Pulling her up to him, he forced his lips onto hers. Everyone broke out into cheers and wolf whistles, as her eyes went from wide and stunned, drooping to a close.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow, never thinking _that_ would happen, but he watched on, hoping that this would help the others to open up.

After the scene was over, he took the ball back from the girl, and a little embarrassed, went back to his spot. The cheering though, had attracted their teacher's rival, Might Guy over to the room, to snoop about.

"What is the youth doing in here?" He demanded, walking in, with his class, and Asuma Sarutobi's class in tow. He had taken both classes for the day, due to Asuma dealing with the guest speaker. Quickly seeing their game, he ushered his students into the circle; Kakashi didn't object.

"We're hashing everything out." Kakashi said simply, inviting Guy to sit by him and watch.

"Ah!" He breathed in a gulp of oxygen, "Nothing like watching something as beautiful as youthful emotions!" His face lit up, dazzled, and he took his place next to the other teacher.

Daisuke tossed the ball to Shikamaru, who had just joined them. "I've always wanted to know…" He started, peaking everyone's interest, "How did you beat that con artist at Shogi last year at the festival?" He was referring to an incident at Konoha's annual festival when Shikamaru was a freshman, and Daisuke was a junior.

Quite interestingly, the brunette had always been the smartest in the school – probably in Konoha, until Shikamaru bumped up to high school. The junior had never _seen_ someone's skill go far beyond his own, and watched with extreme interest, as an obvious con artist tried to get idiots to play Shogi against him for money. The man was cheating – it was so obvious to someone like Daisuke, and with natural pride, was _very_ pleased when Shikamaru offered to play him for quite a bit of money.

He watched in horror as, despite the man's best (though not honest) efforts, Shikamaru beat him, fair and square. Winning the cash, Daisuke was stripped of his title as the genius of the school, and it was handed rightfully over to Shikamaru. He had always known what kind of move to pull when all hope seemed to be lost.

Shikamaru chuckled, seeing as the question was a lot less climactical than he had originally thought it would be. "It was simple…" He answered honestly, "Analyzing what pieces were missing from the board made me think of all the obvious possibilities he would choose next."

Daisuke blinked, surprised with this answer, but saying nothing more to Shikamaru. The jet black haired teenager didn't have a retort to the brunette's shocked face, so threw the ball to Neji, "This is quite troublesome… But from one class' genius to another…" he blinked lazily for a moment, "How, being as smart as you are, are you possibly that whipped by a woman?" Everyone gasped at the blunt question, and the people who knew and were friends with both Neji and Shikamaru simply burst out laughing.

Sometime during Shikamaru and Daisuke's talk, Kurenai had snuck her students inside the classroom, sneakily, before running off to join Asuma in helping to set up for the speaker. They had fluttered inside, and now, were taking part in the hilarious joke at Neji's expense. Even Hinata found herself laughing.

The brunette glared at Shikamaru, only to find him smirk. Either he really was wondering, or this was his way of playing match maker. Either way, Neji wouldn't fall for it. He stuck his nose up in the air, indicating he thought much better of himself than his younger peer and threw the ball back to Shikamaru, "You're more whipped dating Yamanaka."

The room settled down for a moment, noticing the heat of the battle coming on. "But…" Shikamaru started slowly, wondering if Neji would notice the retort he could so easily make back. "At least I'm dating her." His eyes widened in realization, "You're just love struck when it comes to Tenten but are too stubborn to put it out there and see where it goes!" With that, he threw the ball to Tenten, standing only one person away from Neji, her chocolate eyes wide with shock.

Lee wooped, finally being able to celebrate the girl knowing his rival's feelings, but not to his expense at all. (Neji wouldn't be able to beat him up, because he never said anything.)

"What do you feel about this, Tenten?" Shikamaru asked her, but instead of replying to the boy, she turned to Neji and threw the ball.

"Is that true, Neji?"

"_No!_" He scowled, not wanting to admit it, and stubbornly making sure she didn't know the truth. Immediately, he was booed by Naruto (completely forgetting his under-the-weather mood, and getting quite animated about the game) and Kiba respectively.

"Man up!" Kiba yelled.

"Yeah, come on! Tell her how you really feel and get it over with!" Naruto barked, leaning onto the brunette standing next to him, trying to make himself taller and more pronounced. A few others booed him as well.

Neji sighed in defeat and looked at the girl, "Yes…" She dropped the ball, unblinking. It bounced across the circle, and Sakura picked it up and waited. But instead of being embarrassed or angry, her face suddenly split into a toothy grin.

"Really!" She pressed, and Lee was the next to discover a smile, knowing their behaviors and understanding this was a good reaction. "I thought you might never tell me…" She smirked, shoving him backwards, "You're such an ass, not telling me all this time! How long?" She demanded, though the grin never left her face.

He stumbled over his words, unbelieving, as his lavender eyes held fast to the distress he was feeling. "I err… Um well it was –" He coughed, and straightened, finding his confidence again, "Since we were ten."

More wolf whistles sounded off in the room, attracting more and more random students to Kakashi's room. Even the Akatsuki seniors, and more of Karin's goons found their way into the room, though the silver haired teacher pretended he never even saw it happen.

"Well!" She was definitely shocked, but a part of her had seen it coming completely. She switched places with Lee for a moment, and kissed his cheek, "I'm glad I know now…" With that she went back to her spot, and everyone in the room saw Neji Hyuuga, for the first time, blush.

"Sakura…" Kakashi spoke up, "You have the ball now – throw it…"

She scanned the area, biting her lip, trying to find something positive she could say about anyone. Though really the only feeling she had, was a strong desire to throw the ball at Karin's head. And in the end, that's exactly what she did.

Whipping it with all of her might, she thrust it as hard as she could to the opposite end of the now spacious circle. Grunting, she let the ball go, and listened to it whistle in the air, before smacking Karin square in the nose. Though she didn't cause the girl to get a bloody nose (damn), she watched as her glasses snapped into two. Kakashi did the quick honor of taping them back together, but decided against making them look normal.

The glasses now gave her the illusion that she had four different eyes – quite literally – through the lens. Everyone burst into laughter – even worse than at Neji's fumble, except for the redhead's followers.

Sakura straightened up, narrowing her emerald eyes, "Why are you such a bitch? Can't you stay out of everyone's business for a day?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" She howled – the small grooves on the ball showed in her pale face.

"The _party_!" The words made quite a few different people flinch back – they thought she would be fragile about the subject. "I'm very glad that I know those two are fleabag assholes, but Christ – it's surely none of your business what they do or not!" She sucked in a breath, "Obviously, Sasuke did _not_ want to date you, or he would have actually caught you when you threw yourself at him the first _five-hundred times!_" She screeched, wanting so dearly to get that off of her chest, she had no idea that she could produce this type of an emotion.

Karin stared at her stunned, "Sasuke would rather date me than you in a heartbeat! He went out with you for a dare! You wanna know why it was you? Because you're the most boyish, disgusting girl at our school – that's the only reason you were picked!"

"I'd rather be awful and disgusting!" She shot back, "Than be a whore who's contracted seventeen different STD's from sleeping with twenty different guys! Tell me, how _is_ that doing to your body?" She snarled, as the other girl gasped dramatically.

Suddenly, Karin's voice dropped, and her bangs swept over her eyes, hiding the deadly lust that shined in her orbs. "You know… the only reason why you're upset is because you started to fall for him…"

The room got quiet then, when she threw the ball to Sasuke and looked up, "Sasuke-kun, why _did_ you have to go through that whole thing to get me jealous? I would have just gone out with you if you would have asked…"

Before Sasuke had a chance to answer with a snide remark, Itachi surprisingly lifted the ball gently from his little brother's hands. "Since quite frankly, Sakura is the only one who has ever been blunt to you… I, instead will tell you now…" He smirked his Uchiha trademark smirk, "No one wants to be with someone like you. You have an ADD for men, and it's rather disruptive when someone is looking for something good in their life. Find someone who has interest in you Karin, for neither Uchiha at Konoha high does…"

She blinked, quite surprised that the words were actually escaping Itachi's mouth, "You're such an asshole!" Her voice became very loud again, "You make a bet with your brother just to get him to talk to you again because you fucked up the relationship, and completely play a girl – no matter how boyish – and it's sick!"

At this point, everyone began to murmur, not knowing exactly what was going on. It seemed that everyone was jumping sides about the whole ordeal, and people were beginning to disagree with what was being said. Soon, people began yelling at each other about problems that hadn't been involved before.

"You're such a skank! You put others down just to make yourself feel better!"

"Like you can talk! How was your rake of a blow job, Shikamaru?"

"Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my brother like that!"

"Isn't there someone else you should be apologizing to?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you weren't looking for a relationship?" 

"How do you have a right to be mad?"

"I want to know the truth, dammit!"

Everyone's voices were ringing in Sakura's head, and she balled her hands into a tight fist in frustration. Kakashi glanced suspiciously at Gai, who seemed to be fist pumping, and rooting for Lee to totally jump someone. He shook his head – oh well – he didn't figure anything too different would happen…

"You just suck up to her, and you're just friends with her to make yourself seem prettier!"

"That's it!" Ino screamed, pouncing on the girl in all dead seriousness. She brought her fist back, and punched the girl square in the jaw, and soon other students followed. Shikamaru tried to yank Ino off, but some guy who was completely in love with her, mistook him for attacking Karin himself, and tackled Shikamaru down. When Ino accidentally got punched, Tenten jumped in, and more and more people entered the small fray, until finally Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto were the only ones still standing.

Sakura's usually delicate hands shook with fury, as she glared in the direction of Sasuke, silently yelling at him that it was all his fault. In the end, he glanced at the blonde, who turned away quickly, before finally Karin managed to pull herself out.

"You!" She pointed, exasperated, at Naruto, "You knew too, and you didn't even tell her!"

Finally, with a shriek of frustration, Sakura punched the girl as hard as she could, earning a lovely _crack_ from her nose. All noise sounded off, as the pinkette breathed hard, "No matter _what_ was been going on with Naruto and me for the last couple of weeks…" Her voice dropped dangerously low, "Never _ever_ try to pit him against me… Because I know he wouldn't do that…" She decided with a final nod, as Karin's eyes watered, and makeup slowly began to build under her eyes.

"You're fucking crazy!" The redhead yelled, suddenly popping up and storming out of the room. It seemed slowly after that, the fighting died down, and everyone silently watched the girl turn to her teacher.

"Sorry we ruined your game…" She shrugged, though the apology met her eyes.

Instead of him saying anything, a noise behind her caught her attention. When her eyes widened in confusion, Kakashi motioned for her to turn around. There was a small group of people, Naruto and Ino in the lead, with goofy grins on their face, their hands coming together, synchronizing in applaud.

She smiled slightly, though confused, until more and more people joined in. So a group of people had finally put Karin in her place, and she was getting credit for it?

Yeah, she could get used to that.

Naruto stepped forward to hug her, and she laughed as she was picked up and put on his shoulders, and for a few minutes, the world seemed perfect again, just as it had before the whole mess with Sasuke had started.

But out of the corner of her eye…

She could see _him_ clapping too…

?

**A/N: Well I'm definitely impressed with the length of this chapter… It's pretty random, but I'm definitely liking it! **

**Thanks btw (since I'm writing this after I posted chapter 20) to everyone who reviewed! I just wish that I could keep that number 8-10 all the time… You know how much that would make my day? This will be your reward! Longer chapters **

**So if it seems kind of stupid, just go with it, because it's the only way I could figure out how to do this… Thanks everyone!**

**-zesty-**


	23. Emotional Discharge

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 23: Emotional Discharge**

"I'm doing the honors of buying you lunch…" The blonde triumphantly slammed a cup down on the table, the contents sloshing on the sides.

"Naruto…" She laughed, her mood heightened since the beginning of the day, "This is a cup of instant ramen…"

"Hey, I didn't tell you _what_ I was buying you… or how old it is…"

"Yuck!" Ino shrieked, flicking the cup towards Naruto, who sat on the other side of the pinkette.

"Oh how I've missed that lovely, high-pitched, squeal of a voice, Ino!"

The girl about pounced, until Shikamaru slung an arm around her. "troublesome…" He sighed, but he had successfully stopped her rage. Only he gained her love struck eyes swooning at him for the remainder of the quiet conversation.

Hinata sat next to Naruto, and the others scattered around the table as well. It wasn't often that all of them had the same lunch hour, but since there was an assembly, and many teachers strangely lost their students (Kakashi swore they weren't in his room), the entire high school was having lunch together that day.

Sakura picked up a French fry and listened to her friends squabble. She enjoyed being surrounded by these people, and not to mention _comfortable_. Suddenly, she thought back to not that long ago when she had been sitting next to Ino and Sasuke at lunch, when Karin tried to provoke her.

The redhead had made the oddly good point that Sakura was more revealing than her that day, and was in no condition to fight. Now, the first day back to her skinny jeans and baggy sweatshirts, she kicked the ginger's ass… _Haha… cool…_

The day was definitely looking up for her – she knew it would, and now for the first time in a long time, she got to be with all of the people close to her…

But then why did that one part of her heart still feel cracked and dangling by a thread?

?

Sasori almost grinned when he walked into the lunch room. Why? Well, he had plenty of reasons…

1) He had heard this faint rumor that Sakura had kicked Karin's ass, where he couldn't be in the previous hours. Finding the girl and offering a smidge of fake sympathy, he found an exaggerated version of the story. Having dealt with that all of his life with his mother, he molded the story back down to have it make sense. He also saw the slightly crooked nose (she'd have to get it back to normal after school, because somehow Tsunade found it hilarious that her face was messed up, and told her she wasn't allowed to leave), and war scars from nails and bruises outlining her rather skimpy outfit… He should have given her a purple heart...

2) When he saw his little sister in the lunch room, she was surrounded by all of the friends he knew were out there somewhere, and was positively delighted to see Naruto by her side… and… no Sasuke in sight. That could have been a whole number by itself, but for time's sake – he threw it in with the girl being happy again.

3) And finally – for the first time since this mess blew up in everyone's face, he was having lunch with his friends… This meant Itachi and Kisame were going to be beaten to a pulp. That was the funny thing… Though _everyone_ loved Itachi, more people loved Sakura. She had been around for their entire friendship, and even Kisame couldn't say he hated the girl… She'd always been the one who the whole Akatsuki group had _loved_ to have tag along, because she was probably just as kick ass as everyone else.

And so here he was, rounding the geek table, and stopping at the table with his friends. Zetsu was the first to see him, and his good side (though it wasn't official, everyone he was bipolar) seemed to kick in, causing him to drop his fork, it landing with a clank.

Everyone turned then, and those who weren't looking in the lunchroom already, glanced over their shoulder to have a juicy peek.

"Get up…" Sasori commanded Kisame. The man cockily stood, his sharp fangs showing as he grinned like a bobcat. Though unfortunately for the blue-skinned senior, the redhead was too quick.

In one vivid motion, he knocked his friend and teammate onto his back, the man blinking in shock, as the redhead calmly stood in front of him.

"What the fuck?" He suddenly acted as though he had no idea.

"She didn't do anything to you…" Sasori spoke, his voice dangerously even. "She didn't do anything, and you dragged her into your man-relationship with Itachi!"

People giggled at that, but were quickly hushed. "You couldn't deal with Itachi spending time with someone else, for whatever fucking reason in that fish brain of yours!" His armor cracked, and his voice slid louder… he was going to lose it – even the deaf in the room could tell.

"You dragged Sakura into this, when she didn't do anything to you! She was perfectly happy where she was! And if you _really_ had a problem with me hooking up with girls at Itachi's house, when he would mope around because Sasuke was home – if you wanted to deal with him in that state then if you would have given me the option of either dealing with it, or breaking my little sister into two pieces, I would have backed completely off!" He yelled now, and people got chills – even Sakura had never seen her own brother this upset.

"Itachi came to me – not even me… he came to my family when Sasuke left. Here he was, nine or ten years old, just lost his parents and brother all in the same fucking night! He came to stay with _us!_ Sasuke coming home is the _only_ reason I was around! Because I'm the only other one with a sibling, except Tobi, but I don't think that thing counts!" His eyes flickered with a fiery hatred, and the man on the ground was stunned. No one had heard Sasori speak this much in his entire high school career. Everything was silent – it was as though everyone was holding their breath. "He needed the person who understood all those years! Not his ass wipe of a best friend who doesn't care about things like that!" He was on him again like a fly on manure, this time, kicking him and punching him, and definitely not letting up.

It would have been a safe bet for Itachi to leave at this point, and yet there he sat, just as stunned as everyone else.

No one cared to stop it. It was weirdly entertaining, and yet at the same time, freakishly disturbing. Soon, a few pair of eyes went to Sakura, who watched in horror, unable to do anything. Those couple pairs of eyes turned to more and more, until almost everyone had lost interest in the fight, and were intent on watching what Sakura would do.

Finally, when it sunk in that her brother was beating Kisame to death, she jumped up. "Sasori!" She screamed, trying to get her brother's attention.

Kisame had the redhead flipped when his ears prickled with her voice. That was his opening. And soon, the pale skinned senior was getting punched in the face as well. Some were blocked, others deflected into the ground, and they both were getting easy shots at each other.

The girl scampered over to the fight, simply wanting the whole thing to blow over, and for everyone to go back to the way they were. "Sasori!" She yelled again, angry, and trying to insert herself in the middle to break the two up. Unfortunately, when she was finally successful, Kisame threw a punch he couldn't stop.

Right into the girl's delicately pale skin, she felt her teeth clamp down, and the blood pour into her mouth. She was punched square in the jaw. A gasp and murmur rose and fell in the crowd, and many people suddenly flung into action.

Naruto was on his feet, Sasori was hugging his sister, people were screaming, Karin was laughing, and the Akatsuki team was making a mad dash to rise and either dare help an enraged redheaded Sasori, or flee the lunch room entirely.

She stumbled back, running her tongue along the line of her teeth, the copper taste sour in her mouth. Sasori was stunned, his arms instantaneously around her, eyes baffled – wide and blood lusted.

Kisame was even more surprised, with fist still raised in the air, and his eyes widening ever so slowly.

"You…" Sasori mumbled, taking a step closer.

Sakura suddenly lashed out angry, and grabbed Sasori's hand, "You fighting is what started all of this in the first place!" She glared, sucking the blood away from her cut gum – luckily, the outside of her mouth was not phased. "Just stop already! I'm sick of everyone making a big deal out of this!" She yelled, pushing her brother away, and shoving passed Kisame, storming out of the room.

?

Sakura had never been one to make a big scene, or put on a big show. But as she spit in the sink for the fourth time in two minutes, she thought she must have been doing something wrong. Pulling down her lip, she watched the blood ooze out of the cut, and let it slip out of her fingers, going back to sucking on it with the inside of her mouth. She winced when her teeth slid over it, but that was the most painful part.

Of course, there was a bad throb to her actual bone, but she figured she'd be alright in the end. She was tough… If a broken heart couldn't end her world, then neither could a punch to the jaw.

Sasori knew who she was… He knew she'd be frustrated and dangerous today, and she definitely was – there was no doubt about that… But she'd be damned if she was going to let Sasuke know that. Her day started out powerful, and it was going to end like that too, even if she had to find someone to spit blood at every couple of minutes.

The pinkette heard the bell and knew that everyone would be moving to the auditorium now for the upcoming day's strange events… With a shrug, she pushed her hair from her eyes with a flick of her head, and spit one last time before moving out of the bathroom, careful to hold her head, and her battle wound, up high and proud for everyone to see…

Ino was the only one waiting for her still in the lunchroom. She held in her hands an apple, since Sakura really didn't get time to eat anything for lunch, and a small, pitying smile was cast across her features.

The girl grinned, and took the apple, putting her arm around Ino's shoulders and giving them a squeeze before they skipped off to the auditorium, giggling and moving just as they did when they were young, and didn't have a care in the world.

?

"Sakura, I think you have a little smudge on your face…" the redhead tapped her jaw, just to the side of her chin and grinned, as her posse snickered, and high fived each other because they thought it was a hilarious joke.

And with a dead serious face, the pinkette started right at her and raised her eyebrow, "Karin your nose is crooked…" Ino burst out laughing, and the two of them slapped hands, before moving along. Sakura swore she could hear Karin's grumbling all the way from the first few rows, where they found two empty seats next to each other.

Tsunade walked out on the stage almost just as soon as they sat down, and clapped her hands to get everyone to shut up. When that didn't work she screamed, and threatened to draw school agonizingly out, so the summer break was cut in half. The woman had the power and the looks to get that granted…

It shut everyone up…

She smirked, and spoke, not needing a microphone. "Alright, listening up everyone… I know you're all quite aware of the safety precautions we always have to take at school… Well, we are going to heighten our security around here, because we feel its dropped in the past few months of school, and we want to make sure that you're all safe… well, most of us do…"

When she finally got the class to quiet down once more, she continued. "The school has just been alerted of a highly dangerous breakout from the jail outside town…" A murmur rose and fell in the crowd, and the blonde woman watched as heads turned towards each other, and hands went up to cover mouthing whispers. "Silence!" She ordered, watching those same heads whip back towards her for more information, "Everything will be fine… But I wanted to have this presentation incase something were to happen… And you would probably want to know too, so I would be quiet…" She nodded, "And then, we'll be having a pep rally for the upcoming school events…" she pulled out a list and began to read, "We'll have to see off our Akatsuki team while they go to Kumo for the championship –"

Many interrupted her, suddenly breaking out in cheers and applause. She smirked, allowing this to happen, obviously proud of the team. Tilting her head, she watched many support the team, though most of that said team sat and crossed their arms looking angry, and Sasori and Kisame sat on completely different ends of each other, looking pretty beat up. Only Tobi took the endorsements standing and laughing, waving back at the many who cheered.

"Plus, we'll be hosting the 100th annual Show of Art at Konoha High this year… Remember – since it's a pretty big year, there will be some big people looking to buy artwork, and people from _many_ different schools. I know art doesn't require a whole pep rally, but it's nice to be supported, isn't it?" Many people also cheered for this, knowing many who would do well in the competition.

"Also, we'll send off our cheerleaders soon for their final competition, let's all give them a round of applause please!" The gym was mostly silent, except for the many who specifically clapped towards Ino and the two rare other girls on the squad who didn't follow Karin religiously. Tsunade coughed and cleared her throat after the awkward silence and lone claps, "And lastly, of course, to get you all excited about prom!" This shout approval almost lapsed _over_ that of the Akatsuki's applaud, many anxious as to what exactly was going to _happen_ at prom.

She laughed, delighted at the school's enthusiasm, "But first!" She yelled, rounding in everyone's attention once again, "Listen to the presentation…"

A man stepped forward, his long grey hair cascading down his back to almost his waist. "Hello… My name is Mifune… Now, I'm going to start off with this, because it's the most important thing about this presentation… If anyone ever entered the school with a gun…" He shook his head sadly, "Please don't try to be the hero…"

?

"It's obvious you want to talk about it…" She spoke, her voice strained, "so go ahead and burst."

"Ohhh! Sakura! I wish you were willing to go! Prom will be _soo_ fun!" She beamed, her turquoise eyes glittering. The pinkette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I said you can talk about it, not try to persuade me into the impossible."

"But why!" Her blonde friend whined.

"Because I said so." She replied flatly. The taller girl resorted to pouting, though her best friend wouldn't budge. "Excited for cheerleading?" She joked, poking her elbow into her friend's side.

"No!" She stomped her foot, "No you, no Shikamaru, no anyone but Karin!" Ino huffed, annoyed.

"Well… That's a bummer – maybe you should quit," She smirked, always enjoying the girl's exasperated response to that suggestion.

"Sakura!" She dramatically emphasized, "You don't _understand!_ If I quit, the people wouldn't love the cheerleaders, and, in turn, would _hate_ the games when things were going bad!"

The girl could only chuckle. "Okay, Pig."

"You're going to enter that art thinger, right?"

"It's the only thing I'm good at…" She nodded, and turned down the hall, letting her thin fingers fall off the wall as she maneuvered to the side. The blonde went on about how she was so 'modest', but for the most part, their conversation died into listening to the footsteps echoing through the halls.

"Kind of creepy after that presentation…" Ino spoke out loud, only giving voice to the pinkette's thoughts.

The criminals were highly trained – people who could take down an entire group of students, parents, workers, _anything_ within the blink of an eye. It was said they were headed to Konoha, but their motives were unknown. Perhaps the two decided to try and blend into a normal life again, or worse… were out for blood.

"Hopefully it's Karin if anyone…" Sakura joked, though quite dryly. She figured not even _she_ could wish a violent, gun-shot death at this hellish place on the redhead. Though, the thought of her being gone was kind of appealing… Oh well – she would be for the cheerleading competition soon enough.

Now, if only there was a way to get Sasuke to leave, her life would be complete…

?

The weekend came surprisingly fast, and Sakura found herself in a flowing black shirt, bunched together and tied at the side, and black dress pants with black flats, standing in front of a canvas, watching people walk forward to their stations.

The Show of Art was a place where teacher recommended talent gathered in one place, and created… well… art! It worked in a matter of four stages. The first was a freebee piece. Anything you wanted to create – whether it be a sculpture, painting, sketch, portrait, _anything_ could be included, and the top fifty most talented artists moved on. The second stage was a sculpture. It gave those who excelled in that tricky mastery the edge, and those who didn't, a chance to show off a not so good sculpture, in a unique way, by perhaps creating a background, or accessories, or something of the sort. The top twenty-five moved on from their, and onto a painting. Again, any other elements could be used in this category, but it had to feature a painting, and that's the main part that would be getting judged. And the top ten would advance to the final round.

It was the basis of all art. A beautiful sketch. It could have been of anything, but they needed to choose wisely, as seven would be given an honorable mention, two would be given just a place, and the first place winner would have their sketch featured in anything it could fit into… and not to mention – make a profit off their work.

Unfortunately, as the girl watched an abnormal amount of people pool into the doors of the school, one person, standing not too far away handing out pamphlets, was Sasuke. She gaped, not believing her deceitful eyes.

What was _he_ doing at _her_ artshow! Oh wait… the ass was good at art. Before she could look away though, he glanced in her direction, and his face screwed up in kind of an odd manner… It took her a moment to realize he was looking past her.

"Hello, Sakura…"

She froze, her heart surely stopping, breathing caught in her throat. With a shaky hand contracting into a fist, she turned ever so slowly.

"Sai…"

?

**A/N: WOW! Thank you so much! 15 reviews last chapter! I'm so happy! Thank you so much guys for all the support! Keep that coming, and I'll keep updating! :D :D**

**I really am going to be sad if I don't get that many again, so make sure to review and keep me happy!**

**Sorry that this chapter was kind of a drag, but after such a dramatic few chapters, you can't expect the drama to keep going… And besides, this is definitely building up to something big :)**

**:D Hope you all enjoyed!**

**-zesty-**


	24. Show of Art

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 24: Show of Art**

He stared down at her, his face almost perfectly emotionless. She had the sudden urge to reach out and touch him – to see if he was real… He was more like stone than Sasuke at his worst… Blinking, she glanced back up at his face, to see a slow smirk grow on his face.

"Well I can definitely still say my appearance at this annual thing has an effect on you. Though I am quite surprised – you haven't been recommended before, I do wonder why this year is any different."

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Shutting it once more, she took the blow calmly, and could only let on a smile.

Sasuke watched in complete disgust. Here he was, watching from afar, a young woman get harassed by some sort of a molester – he was sure. Her strong façade had fallen in an instant with this tall, seductive, dark haired teenager. He was a year older than her, far more intimidating than Sasuke and Itachi would ever hope to be combined, and such an asshole, he was sure people thought he was attractive… Shit, he was worse than Sasuke himself!

Glaring, he dropped his pamphlets in a huff, and made a stampede over to the couple. "Sakura…" His voice was a sickly, but fake, sweet as he slid his arm around her shoulders. Confusion flashed before her features.

He was hoping to make her mad, to show this guy she wasn't someone to mess with. Seemingly snapping out of her illusion, she shoved him off, "What the hell do you want?"

The boy in front of her seemed taken aback by this statement, shocked at her sudden mood swing.

"I was checking to see…" He trailed when her glare became to ominous to stand, and he stepped back, "if you wanted a brochure…" He finished lamely, only then cursing himself for throwing them all over the hallway in a tiff.

She snorted, "Stay away, Uchiha… No amount of dumb ass on your part is going to change anything." She whipped around, almost hitting her ex-boyfriend in the face with her long, silky hair, and stalking away, people glancing in her direction, and avoiding being within ten feet of her. She was her own bubble, waltzing down the hallway, causing many to shove up against the walls.

"Wow…" He spoke, impressed, "I'm shocked – she has changed… For a moment, I didn't think she had matured at all…"

Sasuke glanced back at the guy, "Don't get any ideas." He hissed in warning, meandering coolly away before Sai had a chance to reply. The taller teenager only raised an eyebrow.

This was going to be far more interesting than the art he was about to create…

?

Sakura stared herself down in the mirror. Her hair was neatly straightened and cascaded down her back in an elegant way, until she would begin to paint. Then her hair would be messily thrown up – like it should have been… like she always wanted it to be. Her clothing fit her well, and made her look professional…

Where were her sweatshirt and skinny jeans when she needed them? The man who stood in front of her still had a lock and hold over her, and she knew that he knew that too… The only way he would have any doubt is perhaps… Sasuke?

Had he done that to help break her out of the pitiful spell she had fallen into? She probably should have been thanking him for helping her out, but it wasn't him who had forced that reaction out of her… Well – kind of she supposed.

Slapping her hands onto either side of her head, her vision swam. She had no idea what to do – why was it so damn difficult for her to figure out her feelings? Up until the art show, she had been fine with everything that had happened the weekend before, but now… Was she really okay with walking away from Sasuke? Was it really okay what happened between _either _of those boys and her?

She pulled out her cell phone and watched the time turn from 9:58 or 9:59 in the morning. Biting her lip, she wondered if Ino would still pick up her cell – she would be leaving in just a few minutes for the big competition – no cell phones were allowed so the girls could keep their focus.

Blowing out a puff of breath, she splashed cold water on her face and continued staring at herself. Alarmingly emerald eyes shined back at her, and she wished she possessed the strength that they glittered with… Her façade was a convincing one – but it didn't reach all the way into her being.

For once, Sakura was at a loss as to what to do. She needed guidance through something she had no expertise during, and she was scared… Scared of what would happen; scared of who would take advantage of her… She thought about turning to Sasori for help, only to realize that he was also gone now too… The weekend was a rush to get things done before prom.

Prom… That was the whole messy problem. That wretched event was the only reason why things were as awful as they were for her right now… Closing her eyes she leaned back, and wondered just what to do.

"You look troubled…" The strong voice caused her to jump and quickly turn around. She watched as the blonde woman let the door swing shut with a fond smile. "You have for a while now, Sakura… What's on your mind?"

"Tsunade…" She sighed and leaned back on the sink, feeling the cool sink through her shirt. "Just, a lot on my mind…"

"Want to talk about it? I know I'm not a very sympathetic person, but I suppose I can be in some subjects…"

"How about with boys?" Both women snorted, before the blonde waved her hand in front of her face.

"They're awful; don't be with any of them…" She instructed, causing the younger girl to laugh. When the pinkette awaited a real answer, the woman sighed, closing her honey almond eyes, "I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told anyone before, okay? Just because you're probably my favorite kid in this whole school…"

She rubbed her temples before continuing, "You know Jiraiya because of Naruto, correct?" The girl nodded, "Well, I've known Jiraiya since we were about six years old… I went to school with him, we grew up in the same place, you know… the works… Everyone thought we were going to grow up and get married, already when we were only twelve years old."

"What? With that old pervert?"

"Well… He wasn't always a pervert…" She paused, "Actually, he was." She shrugged, "But Jiraiya and I had something special. He was a weirdo whenever he wasn't with me, and always tried to flirt, but we've been best friends, with kind of a love-hate relationship for a _very_ long time… Only seven years of our lives we haven't been friends… Of course, there was a spell, when I dated a man named Dan."

"Dan?" She wondered, tilting her head.

"I was in my early twenties, and Dan and I had a special connection. It was different than most, and Jiraiya was very angry. We were in love, but too stubborn to admit it. So I found someone else…" She closed her eyes and leaned back, "I was in love with Dan, but when it came down to it, I knew in my heart that I had made a mistake. Jiraiya and I had too much fun pretending to hate each other, and that's why I feared for an actual relationship with him… And now, we have too many things going on in life to be together…" She shrugged, "Our primes are over now, and I regret never telling him straight up how I felt…"

"Wait…" Sakura stopped her, "So, are you trying to relate this to –"

"You and Sasuke?" She smirked as the student gaped – she loved playing dumb and then surprising them, "Yes. I am…" She shook her head, "I don't know the kid very well, but from my experience with Jiraiya… It's going to be hard to forgive him, but I know deep down both of you still care about each other. Give it time, hell, make him sweat, it's good for you…" She shrugged, "But in the end, try not to think too deeply about this bet – yes I knew about that too – because I could definitely tell that Sasuke cared about you."

"But…" She trailed, not sure what to say.

"People come together in the most surprising of ways… Who's to say that this bet, though horrible, wasn't that surprising way of bringing you together?" She smiled, "Think about it later, Sakura… You have an art competition to win… You're my pride and joy you know…" She laughed, waving a hand in front of her face, "Just have fun with it…" With that, her hair floating behind her in two pony tails, she nonchalantly exited the bathroom.

Now the pinkette had even more to think about…

?

Sasuke was doing what he did best… Sulking. With Itachi gone, there was no one to fill up that large space in his mind labeled HATE/REVENGE… So he decided to focus it on this kid. He was tall and handsome – something people thought only Uchiha's could achieve. But this guy must have had immense power, and extremely good taste, to be able to score Sakura so easily, just last year.

He wondered for a moment, their sudden past, but he knew already that he wanted to protect her. The front, foremost part of his mind was saying _fuck the girl_, and yet he knew deep down that he still cared about her, and wanted to be with her. This wouldn't change until he had himself better in her eyes…

What a sap he'd turned into.

He watched as the man schmoozed some of the judges – laughing at all the right words, adding his opinion where it wouldn't matter, but be appreciated… Seething, he cracked his knuckles, not fully understanding why he was in such a particularly bad mood today…

He turned away from the social scene in front of him, and sharpened a few of his pencils. He had to focus. Sasuke enjoyed showing off – it was one of the few things _both_ Itachi and Sasuke inherited from their father.

"Attention art contesters… The first stage will be started in _ten minutes_. I repeat, the first stage will be started in _ten_ _minutes_. Please report to your stations… Thank you!"

He took in a breath and gathered his things. Slowly, he bent down to pick up a brochure from the ground and flipped it open. He read the description for the show, and then flipped open to everyone's names. Sakura and Sai were both on that list. Sucking in a breath, he wondered just how difficult this would be, before picking up his pad and pack of pencils, and wandering off.

Just maybe, if he were to pull off something today, he would be able to win her back.

He passed her station and caught her death glare, and he _almost_ cringed…

Then again… Maybe he _couldn't_ win her back…

He settled into his spot and glanced around. He saw Sai charming some other girl close to submission; she leaned so close it seemed she was about to tip over. The blonde girl put the Leaning Tower of Piza to shame, and Sasuke could only shake his head. He never understood the men who actually enjoyed having everyone fawn over him. He definitely knew he hated it.

His charcoal eyes moved towards the simple sketch book laying face down, and tilted his head. Since when did that get there? He flipped it over, and was shocked to see his old, torn sketchbook that he had abandoned sometime ago, leaving it behind – it being even _older_ than the sketchbook Itachi had snuck into his bag the day he left for his uncle's house. Flipping it open, he turned painful, memory loaded pages, watching as his art progressed at an amazing rate.

And then came the empty page of that tragic night when his parents passed away. Though, it wasn't empty anymore… There was a long note on it, and he tilted his head in slight curiosity.

_Sasuke,_

_I hope this will bring you good luck. I know I can't be there, as I should be, but, maybe this will make up for it. Sakura's going to be there today, so be creative – I know you can be…_

_Go kick some ass…_

_Itachi_

A twitch of a smile showed up on his face, but he smothered in time before it became a quiet chuckle. For once, something that Itachi did for him actually didn't make him mad…

Things for the day were already looking up as he positioned himself in the chair, and awaited for the timer to begin. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. If he thought about what he would draw, it would turn out like shit – that much he knew. Other than that, he was at a loss for inspiration, and his irritation level began to bubble. It was only when the loud buzzer went off, signaling to start, that he got angry.

Finally giving up, he began to doodle. Many thoughts crossed his mind, but he continued to scribble small things on the page – anything that came to mind. Chewing the inside of his lip, as he normally did when he worked with art, the things suddenly started to come together.

Knitting his eyebrows together he saw he was forming a picture. Smirking slightly, he blew any excess charcoal away from the page and flipped it over, suddenly inspired by something completely different. He slowly worked his way across the page, doodling in small scenes and emblems, quickly fitting it together. Due to the Uchiha's amazing line of precise (better than 20/20 vision) eyesight, he was able to jam the smallest of details into the tiniest pictures.

Time passed swifter than he expected, and finally when his ears prickled with the sound of the buzzer, he dropped his pencil, surprised to see it less than half of its original size. With a smirk, he glanced around at groaning people, irritated when their work wasn't even close to finished.

He watched one blonde boy slam his head down on the table, revealing a completely blank canvas. The boy was too stressed by pressure, and his inspiration had been sucked lifeless out of him. He'd be out of the competition.

Sasuke peaked casually over the table at the judges, who were currently stopping at Sakura. The pinkette put on a charming smile, and spun around her still drying canvas to show a painting that, even with his outstanding eyesight, looked exactly like a photograph. It was a long road, leaves blowing all around, the colors of fall filling the atmosphere. Trees lined the road, along with grass beginning to wither for the winter, boughs stretching like a long, ongoing arch over the road. Houses lined the area, and it looked similar to where Naruto's house was, and suddenly it clicked in his head that this was indeed, a picture from memory.

With a shocked feeling, he raised an eyebrow, impressed with her mysterious skill. He'd only seen her in an artistic atmosphere a couple times, and every time he did, it never ceased to amaze him. Smirking, he watched one overly excited judge fawn over her colors, before moving on.

In no time at all, they were at his sketch, and he put it up on the easel for them to see. At first the stared, impressed with the realism of the sketch, but leaning closer, one by one, each of them gasped. The picture was of a tombstone, words sketched into it, with grass, part of a tree, clouds in the background, shaded and highlighted areas, and even a bouquet of flowers. Only the whole picture wasn't made up of lines, it was made up of smaller images.

"Please Mister..." One judged searched the sheet for his name, "Uchiha... Explain this sketch to us."

"The picture as a whole is of a tombstone," he began, "it signals the end of ones life..." He pointed then, a smirk twitching on his face, knowing the reaction that came next, "But all of the details are made up of small pictures and emblems – things that happened in this woman's life, indicating her life was lived and not wasted."

"Mikoto Uchiha... Is that just a random name you've come up with, or is this personal experience?"

He knew an attractive teenager with a sob story would only help his cause, so he spoke after a curt nod, "Mikoto Uchiha was my mother... she died ten years ago in a car accident. I wanted to portray her life being well lived and -" he didn't need to say anymore. He had already reduced one judge to tears, as she looked at the large sketch propped up on the easel, and more were nodding in sympathy to him...

Hey, whatever it took to win...

The sobbing redhead gave him a hug before moving on, wiping the tears from underneath her eyes. He turned around and caught the distasteful eye of Sakura, before she whipped back around in a huff. Oops...

?

Sai cracked his knuckles as he watched his competition. The sculpture round was going to be a piece of cake for him, and he smirked as he watched a few people from his school heaving a large marble block on a carrying cart towards him.

He looked at the astonished faces and scoffed, not understanding why anyone in the room thought they had a chance against him. He had never been arrogant, and he wasn't about to start, but honestly – these people were just so idiotic, he almost felt sorry for them.

The pale teenager glanced over in curiosity at Sakura's piece. She was laying towels down, and he could only assume that she was making an ice sculpture. Damn… the girl had _always_ been creative, and now it was coming around to bite him in the ass. But it didn't matter – he assumed her skills were lame compared to him.

That might have been Sai's first mistake… Actually – it was probably just one of many…

He decided he wanted to do something very tricky with this sculpture. For just a bit of added fun, he thought of making a dying Uchiha, but then figured the judges might find that, though passionate, a bit violent for a school competition. So instead, he settled on a girl with long hair, and a tall, handsome boy conveniently looking like him, dancing together. Maybe if he had time, he would create a moonlit background… This was going to be longer than the first round, but still… He would need to work fast. He was accustomed to quickly sculpting out of solid blocks, but this quick? He would need some sort of a miracle…

The boy glanced around in hopes of boosting his own ego a bit. He saw one girl with choppy, short, blonde hair with a giant stack of play-doh and laughed directly at her. She was ridiculous – what kind of person hoped to win a sculpture contest with play-doh? He scoffed and turned away – this only proved his prior idiot comment.

After the two boys set the marble down, he ran his hand across it, eying it up and down as though it were some sort of prize to be won. In a way, he supposed, it was… His feet shuffled carelessly around the giant block, and he debated actually making the back ground first. This kid was confident that he would get everything done.

Perhaps it was another mistake made by Sai?

Before he had any more chance to think about it, two girls stopped and giggled at him. He pulled out his killer half smile and winked at them, "Hello ladies, what brings you dazzling girls here?" He almost purred.

One girl, with intensely volumized hair gained the courage to speak, "Are you that boy…" She snickered, though he still didn't get where it was going… "That was taped to the basketball hoop naked with an erection?"

Sai's face fell.

The girls moved on when they got no reply, laughing loudly, not caring who gave them crazy looks. Suddenly, the tool in Sai's hand snapped. A solid wooden tool… he must have been squeezing it a little too hard…

"Artists please take your positions! The next stage is about to begin! I repeat, the next stage is about to begin!" Sai grumbled and turned to his giant marble piece, debating more now on the death of the pinkette or much rather – the two blonde partners in that wretched scheme…

His long rant was cut off by the sound of the buzzer. "Here we go…" He murmured with a smirk, and began clinking away at the marble. Another good thing about having such a loud piece to work with – was that it distracted many people. Glancing over, he hoped it wasn't messing up Sakura – he wanted to fuck with her later… He couldn't pick out that disgusting boy who came to her aid earlier that day though… He was competition…

Maybe he would just need to fix that a little later on…

?

Sasuke sighed in relief after the judges gave him his sticker to move onto the next round. That stage was awful. He hadn't prepared much except a large packet of molding clay… Surprisingly, he ended up with a decent sculpture, though he still wasn't really sure what it was.

The same judge who had cried and hugged him before squealed with delight before he had a chance to explain anything, cooing about the abstract piece of art in front of them… Well – that was one way to play it… With abstract in the judges' minds, he did a fine job passing that round.

It was break time now, and he walked through all the crying and depressed high schoolers who didn't make it. Shrugging, as it never really effected him one way or another, he entered the cafeteria to see if Sakura might make an appearance… Better yet – to yell at him. Hey, at least it was some sort of contact…

Sighing when there was no sign of the pinkette, he took a seat at the table, thinking maybe someone would pity him and buy him something to drink. It didn't take long for the girls to find him…

?

Sakura was in distress… She cowered in the bathroom like an idiot. Even after Tsunade's talk, she didn't have the guts to go out into the open with the _two_ predators out there… See... She had a problem. Actually, it wasn't just one problem. It was (as earlier stated) _two_.

Before she had met Sasuke, hell, even before she had been kissed at his house, or maybe even before hearing the tragic story of his parents' deaths, she could have taken on Sai with the snap of a finger. She would have been confident and fierce, though he still held a big control over her, the hell she was going to show it! His balls would have fallen off maybe, because of the amount of strength she would have kicked him with, or maybe his nose would be crooked on that beautiful face of his…

Who knows…? But, that was just hypothetical… _if_ she had faced Sai for the first time since the incident _before_ she knew Sasuke the way she did… Before she had had her heart (did she dare say it… grudgingly, and in her own mind, she supposed it was safe) broken. Now, with the two teetering nearer to her the more the day meandered on, she had to watch both her front and back…

Though the two boys were against each other, it seemed both were against her, and she was having trouble dealing with it. Going through a heart wrenching experience with Sasuke just about a week ago, was making her weak with her defenses against Sai. She was vulnerable, and she figured that her former boyfriend knew that…

Gulping in a breath of air, she marched out of the bathroom, determined to go back to her bad ass self. That is, of course… before someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Making a slight meep, she bunched up her shoulders as though someone had dumped ice cubes down her back, blinking until she figured out who it was.

Before she could process exactly what was happening, the figure had her pinned to the wall, purring in her ear.

It finally clicked…

"Sai…" She breathed in exasperation.

"We didn't get the chance to properly talk earlier, _Sakura-chan_…"

"I…" A million things that had just been running through her head simply melted away, leaving mush for her to sort through in this awkward position, to think of something – _anything_ – to say!

Her heart was beating in her throat as he pressed his body against hers. _Rape!_ Was the only thing her mind was screaming, and she shook it a little to try and clear the intimidating word away.

"What…?" He spoke almost sweetly to her, tilting his head, and staring sideways into her eyes. Suddenly, his lips came in contact with her skin, below the ear, on the line of her jaw. Tingles flew down her body, whether in fright or pleasure she was unsure.

Things were going fuzzy around them, and her hand twitched into a fist for only a moment. She had no fighting strength to push him off… But part of her mind – the part that had fallen in love with Sai in the first place, wasn't sure she wanted to shove him away.

His face finally retracted into her sight and he grinned at her, "You're much more fiery than I remember you… Much sexier…" His eyes narrowed as he leaned close to her face, "Much more… my type…" A chill crept down her back, and she was at a loss of what to do.

A veil was between her eyes, and the rest of the world now, and she was experiencing double vision of everything. Was there always two Sai's? There weren't always two boys bathrooms next to each other in this hallway, were there?

"Say something…" He commanded.

"I don't…" she wasn't sure what she had started to say, but he kissed her again, and to his surprise, found that she was willing to kiss back, even if it was out of confusion…

Sakura's mind was spinning, and she tried to stop from what was happening, but the only person she could picture in front of her was Sasuke. That was her whole problem. She wasn't falling to goop in front of Sai… It was Sasuke she saw. Her knees suddenly wobbled beneath her, and if it wasn't for the weight held against her seemingly petite frame, she was sure she would have toppled over.

And then everything was gone…

_Smack!_ The sudden fist connection with jaw snapped her out of her reverie, and suddenly what happened in the last few seconds jumped back to her, causing her to press against the wall in humiliation.

She had fallen for the charm again… Uchiha or Takeuchi, she wasn't sure anymore… Was it the man who had just tried to win her over again just now? Or the one who was now breaking another kid's face with his hand? Like a suction cup peeling off of a window, everything rushed ahead of her, snapping her focus back to a sharp reality.

"You fucker!" The dark, voice caused her to shutter, "I warned you!" Another fist to the face, and he was sure no more blood could pour from a man's mouth and nose. But unfortunately for him, the shock of the opposing force wore off.

He was flipped in an instant, and he felt what he had just dished, handed back to him with curses. Sasuke felt his jaw swell immediately after being punched, and he struggled, thrashing about to fling the taller boy off of him.

Sai tried to pin him down, much in the same rough way he had to Sakura before – she recognized this same pattern from the trouble she'd witnessed last year, and experienced first hand…

The girl thought for a moment, watching the two wrestle each other down in front of her. Why did everything think she was kick ass and tough if she never fought her own battles? Naruto won hers last year, Naruto and Sasori, and hell even Sasuke and Shikamaru… What was this? She wasn't the useless character in the background… (haha, even though she really is lols)

With a spring in her jump, she leapt onto Sai's back and clung around him, snatching up his hair and forcing his head back. He let out a frustrated yelp, and bucked his back, but she stayed latched onto him. Maneuvering her extra weight to the side, he fell off of the sophomore. With quick, exercised motions, Sakura scampered up and on top of the boy, slamming her feet into his stomach, causing him to oof out all of his air.

Sasuke rolled just in time to see Sai grab onto the girl and pull her back down, and was ready to make a move, but amazed, sat stunned at what the girl did next.

With her back on the ground, she lashed out, kicking Sai, unconditionally hard in the groin. He wasn't sure if he should hit her back, for fear of being caught, so there wasn't much he could do in his confusion.

She jumped up, giving herself a breather as her chest rose and fell heavily, "That's for what you just did to Sasuke!" She screamed at him, letting all of her built up frustration burst out of her. She ran towards him, kicking him hard in the leg, "That's for always making fun of Naruto when you _knew_ he could kick your ass if you didn't have those smoker friends of yours around!" She yelled.

So these were her true feelings… Coming out when she finally had the chance to fight back. One more time she went forward, walking slowly and menacingly now. He was too dumbfounded to move. She bent down, leaning forward until her face was just inches from his. A smile graced her lips then, and her eyes narrowed seductively. "Sai…" He was sure this was going to turn around. Maybe she had some freak fantasy with that sort of thing…

_Whack!_

Before he knew it, her fist had connected with his face, purely, with not a single doubt, harder than the two punches from the Uchiha combined. "That's for me, and what you did…"

She stood up then and stumbled back, all of the adrenaline rushing out of her. Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to cry. Whipping around, she adjusted herself.

"Sakura –" Sasuke was about to speak, leaping up from his spot on the ground.

She grabbed his shoulders, and shoved him violently against the wall, narrowing her eyes. "This isn't over, Uchiha…" A flicker of a grin came onto her face, "I still hate you…" With that she walked away, feeling better than she had in _months_.

And what did she leave in her wake? Definitely a better show of a _true_ art than anyone would ever hope to see at an art show... A groaning junior on the ground, whimpering as blood gushed from his face… And an Uchiha…

Who was sporting an uncharacteristic grin for a reason even perhaps, still unknown to Sasuke himself…

?

**A/N: Before I go on my rant, I would like to say… THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is the most reviews I've had EVER on a chapter! 16! Holy Moly! I hope I'm putting in enough drama to keep you guys reviewing! The more you do, the faster (hopefully) I'll write this! Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you!**

**Now… ahem… I know it was kind of a boring chapter – except for the end. I think that was pretty kick ass. I know everyone seemed a little OOC – well maybe not Sai… Because think about it – if you were physically abused like he was, I think you'd be whimpering a bit too…**

**As for Sasuke – you don't see a girl take over in psycho mode every day, do you? And Sakura – well she's just going back to being her kick ass self. I'm sick of making her a baby – where did the awesomeness go? :)**

**I also meant no offense to everyone who loves Sakura – I do to (in Shippuden, not in the first part of Naruto) but come on… she IS still useless… Anyone up to date with the anime at the moment? I don't read the manga – too confusing for mee! She's pitiful in that fight – it's depressing.**

**Sorry! I don't mean to rant! :D I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please keep reviewing! You all are amazing!**

**-zesty-**


	25. Back to Basics

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: 7/6/11 Edit: Fixed the doubled paragraph. It seemed in my tired state, I accidentally did one of those funky delete/copy things... I don't know if that happens to anyone else lol but it's all better now! :D Thank you Renny-Chan and SilverEyeShinobi for letting me know :) I wouldn't have noticed without you two lol Goes to show you how much I revise my work :P  
**

**Chapter 25: Back to Basics**

A few hours later, and suddenly the final round was upon his doorstep. Sasuke watched as the final couple of artists were set up, in their big circle of ten. This was his forte, and he wasn't going to miss the chance to win.

A slight smirk twitching on his lips, he began sharpening his charcoal pencils. He watched the pinkette thoroughly, waiting for some sort of strange snap, like what happened only a couple hours ago. He'd glance the other direction, to his right, to see Sai seemingly brooding on revenge. Sasuke shook his head – avenging thoughts were so overrated…

But that was probably because he wasn't having any right now…

He had been sitting on his stool for the whole twenty-minute break. While girls gossiped, and guys fawned over those same girls, he stared at the same place on the wall, trying to find some sort of inspiration. Something awe inspiring – something that _topped_ the picture of the grave. Shaking his head, he wondered for a moment…

If no one else was doing what he was… That wasn't cheating right? While others would use the first healthy chunk of time drawing up an idea, he would already be illustrating his on paper… but as long as he didn't physically draw anything right now, he couldn't see why it was so bad…

And yet, as those distracted artists took their seats, he was no closer to finding a subject than he was twenty minutes prior. Letting out a puff of breath, he blinking lazily, having finished sharpening all of his tools.

He straightened as the announcer told everyone to take their mark. Oh well – he'd have to improvise…

?

It was dark, and Sakura thought she should really be hurrying to her car. Though as she tried to move faster, her feet dragged like led. She had taken home third place… Third to an overly smug Sai, though with a hint of frustration at coming in second place, and a seemingly regretful Sasuke. Well – it was either that, or he was extremely pissed… It seemed all of his facial expressions made him look like that.

Rubbing at her eyes, she blinked a few times to clear them, and clicked the button on keys, unlocking the car doors.

"Sakura!" For a scary voice in the darkness, she wasn't very afraid. She would recognize that voice anywhere, and when she turned around she spotted a streak of orange and yellow racing towards her. Giving a small wave, she let on the smile dying to come out.

She couldn't wait to tell Naruto what had happened.

Huffing and puffing, he wheeled to a stop, clad in an orange vest over a white shirt, with dark jeans on. His hair was ever messy, but his eyes sparkled. "Is it true?" He beamed at her.

"What?" She tilted her head and knitted her eyebrows together, slightly confused.

"You kicked the shit out of Sai?" He suddenly hugged her and danced around, "You're my hero!"

She burst into laughter, and it seemed to be contagious. And for a few moments, all worries dropped from the world, they stood and laughed together, Sakura allowing herself to be dragged in prancing circle with the blonde.

As the laughter echoed off the building, a sudden presence caused their chuckles to fade into silence. Turning around, they watched as Sasuke fumbled for his keys and dropped them.

Naruto blinked, and glanced back at Sakura, who stood rigid and guarded. But there was a new sort of respect between both of them that though still cast a frosty chill in the air, made for a kind of rivalry that confused the blonde.

Were they back on good terms? Well… as good of terms as someone as emotionally constipated, and quick tempered as Sasuke and Sakura anyways. His head whipped animatedly back and forth between them, before Sakura suddenly turned, and got into her car.

In a great scramble, Naruto managed to get into her passenger seat, clicking his seat belt as she threw the car into reverse.

The blonde completely missed her glance into the rearview mirror, to watch Sasuke get into his own car.

?

With a soft click of the door, he set his duffle bag down on the carpet, and padded across the living room. Stabbing the power button on the TV to get the noise out of the living room, he turned towards the couch.

Tangled in a blanket, hair sticking out in all directions, was his little brother, breathing lightly and almost peacefully.

Itachi knew that Sasuke held a lot of inner turmoil at things. He held grudges far too long, and got angry at the littlest of things. But, for the first time in about a decade, he watched his brother's tranquil sleep, undisturbed by plaguing nightmares, or horrible challenges with his brother. No backstabbing, or anger was included on his face.

Sitting softly on the chair, and glancing around the room, the feelings inside of him stirred as they did every time he glanced around the spacious living area. With tall ceilings, and spread out, comfortable furniture, with only antique and professional wall hangings, their house was surprisingly empty. For all of its stories and hidden rooms, and nooks and crannies, two people living there didn't seem right.

When Sasuke was living with his uncle, Itachi couldn't stand being in that house alone. He would always have a butler or maid stay there, or when they couldn't, he invited their family to live in the luxurious home for a while. And still, gaping at that room, those feelings in his chest whirled around…

Their house was completely too big for two stupid kids. His parents had made it lively and bright, whereas most of the house was no longer used. His father always had a way of making every space useful, whether it be for Sasuke's destruction of toys, or Itachi's band equipment, or even for their old cat to shed all over. His mother had done the work brightening things up, and holding them together as a family.

For a unit of all boys, and one devoted mother, her job was surely full time. She worked far more hours then their father in cleaning with the maids, cooking, making her two kids laugh and work together, teaching them things that no one else would ever teach them. She was their light, and even when the power went out, and it was storming furiously outside, their father angry at losing a day's work, and little Sasuke crying because the thunder scared him… She was always there to pull out an old board game, and let them forget all of their troubles.

He had always taken advantage of his parents, and he knew that that was part of the reason Sasuke was stumbling to stand back on his own, forgetting the hurt and the anger. It was because he had taken advantage of their presence, and had only had them for six years of his life…

That was far too small of a time to learn every life lesson possible.

Rubbing his face with his hands, Itachi leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes. It took his friends and Sasuke, to be completely absent (when the kid was asleep, he counted for not being there) from his presence for his whole façade to come down.

It wasn't as though the accident hadn't affected him at all, but being able to grieve had been stripped away from him when he had a little brother to take care of… a little brother who no longer wanted anything to do with him…

The only thing the older Uchiha wanted now, was for everything to be okay between him and Sasuke again… for _Sasuke_ to be okay again…

?

"Sasori…" The voice was so light – so quiet – that at first, he thought he had imagined it.

He was laying in bed, staring at his ceiling, distantly thinking about prom, and the thoughts that came with it about the Uchihas, his sister, girls, and other things of the sort. He didn't even hear the door open (maybe it wasn't shut in the first place), and when her small voice rang out into the silence, almost… well – _silently_, he was a little alarmed.

Rolling onto his side, and propping himself up on one elbow, he raised an eyebrow at her, "What's up dear sister?" He smirked, his tone light, but her expression heavy.

She padded deeper into the room, feeling the soft, shaggy carpet below her feet, as she leaned over the bed, and suddenly climbed over Sasori to get to the other side of him. After adjusting to make herself comfortable, Sasori turned towards here, where she had nuzzled into his memory foam pillow, and was staring at him, emerald eyes bright with curiosity.

"How was your… thing?" She questioned, gracing him with a small, innocent smile.

"We beat them…" He chuckled darkly, "I just pictured the other guy as Kisame, and boom!" He suddenly yelped, causing her to make a meeping noise and shrinking back, but giggle, "He was out cold within the first three minutes."

She sighed, disapproving of the whole fight, but let on a tiny smirk after some coaxing from the redhead. They were silent for a few moments, listening to the other breathe, enjoying the overdue time in the other's presence.

"What'cha gonna do about prom?" Sasori suddenly asked, and the girl groaned, flopping over on her other side. He laughed, flopping closer to her, and they got into a little bit of a fake tussle on the bed.

When that ended a few moments later, she sighed and glanced at him, "Honestly? I just don't think I'm going to go."

"Ino really wants you too…" He observed.

"Hmm…" She rolled her eyes, "Like that wasn't pronounced to all of mankind when she squealed in the hallway, wailing when I told her I wasn't going."

"Well… should I do that too? Would that make you change your mind?"

"Why do _you_ want me to go?" She asked, taken aback, and a little freaked out.

"What?" He asked in a tone Sakura didn't even have a word for, "I can't want to see my sister all prettied up like a pink haired doll in a dress? _Please_ –" she thought he would have something adorable, and totally brotherly to say, but her smile dropped, and the glitter dimmed in her eyes as he continued, "- that's too much leverage on you, and too much blackmail to pass up!"

"Hmph!" Was all she had to do to answer.

They listened to the whooshing of his ceiling fan for a few moments, before he inhaled once more, "I think you'd have fun, believe it or not. If you went with all of your friends, and just laughed and danced – no one really cares what other people think at prom… Trust me – two years of it really give you perspective."

"Why didn't you go freshman year?"

He grinned, "I didn't get asked by someone that met my standards?" She snorted at that – she just couldn't help it.

"Well – maybe then I guess that's me too, huh?' She asked, her tone ironic. He cringed at the bitterness hiding deep within her words.

Sasori sighed and patted his sister on the head, "We'll find ya someone… I know Ino has a great way of persuading people…" He waggled his eyebrows – something Sasori would never in a million years do, and she snorted again in laughter.

After they settled down, and said nothing more, Sasori wondered how long it would be before his sister got bored and made to leave. But as he turned over to make a snide comment on her silence, he saw her fast asleep, curled up in the innocent little ball only a few people had ever seen in their lives.

He smirked, almost gingerly, before flicking her hair behind her neck, resisting the urge to rumple it all, before pulling up the blankets and rolling over, falling into his own peaceful sleep.

?

"Sakura! Ohh Sakura dear! Are these words going to sound sweet coming off my tongue!" She groaned and rolled over, slamming a pillow over her ears. Sasori had such a _damn_ infuriatingly irritating voice in the morning.

"Saaaakura!" He sang out with a laugh, as he danced into the room, pulling open the curtains as the rays of sunlight flittered onto her.

She growled, and threw a pillow in his direction. He caught it all knowingly. "Ah ah – what did mom tell you about violence?"

"I could say the same thing to you!" She grumbled, angrily turning over, seeking a new pillow. He threw it back to her.

"So do you know how last night, we ended our _beautiful _conversation with finding you someone for prom? Well I found you someone for prom!" He beamed, yanking her up out of bed, and into the hallway, despite her enraged protest.

As her feet slid on the carpet of the stairs, her whole world jumbled every time she was dragged down another step, her prom date slowly came into view, and instantly, her eyes brightened, and a smile aligned on her face.

Though with her hair sticking up in more directions than Naruto's, pajamas wrinkled, and face still looking exhausted, She raced down the remaining steps, and leapt into the boy's arms.

"Gaara!" She beamed, as he smirked and set her back on the floor.

"Hello, Sakura… Long time no see…"

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would pay a little visit?" He shrugged. Gaara and she had been best friends since they were in diapers. Unfortunately, during their eighth grade year, he had moved up north to find himself a better art program.

Ironically, Sai began attending that school about a year later, and after hearing what had happened from Sakura, had indefinitely, as though he deemed it his duty, devoted his life to nothing but art, and making sure that guy was scared out of his shorts all the time.

Naruto had met Gaara following that, and through the common interest of hating Sai, became close friends too, and the blonde always made a point to go see him, when Jiraiya took him up to go fishing. It seemed like everyone lived in that town up there – she would have to make a mental note to go up there and check out what was so great about it.

"So…" Sasori smirked, tuning out his mother humming in the background, ever present when a conversation of prom arose, to see if her baby girl would actually be going so the woman could drown her daughter in dresses and accessories. "Here's your prom date! Tada!" Sasori could be so strange.

Sakura shook her head, "How do you propose you get another guy from another school, who isn't even a junior or senior, to be able to bring me to prom?"

"The same whoop ass way we made it so all of the cool sophomores could go, even with each other…" He grinned, slightly evil intentions underneath his lips, "Besides… Tsunade really likes the sophomore class for some reason – she said '_just as long as no damn freshmen go! Understood?' _that was pretty much the only concern."

Slowly, a grin crept up on Gaara's face, "So… Fill me in on the details that I haven't heard from your brother… Why would me taking you to prom cause an awe inspiring reaction?"

She cringed, "I wouldn't exactly say _that!_"

And so it began… Gaara officially asked her to prom, and the whole scheme slowly started to come together. And after calling Ino and leaving her a voicemail, her heart leapt almost into her mouth, and suddenly she felt almost… what was it…

Excited? About prom?

?

**A/N: Wow. That was so overdue it makes me sad. I had HUGE writer's block, and then, I was so sad because I dropped from a peak of 16 reviews, down to like, 11, and for some reason, even though 11 is still a lot, it still made me sad :(**

**Hopefully, this chapter was more interesting than the last one… :) I know you were all wondering exactly how sophomores in high school could possibly get into prom, and stuff, so I figured I would straighten all that out :)**

**Thank you to all who reviewed before, and to aaall of my dear readers! :D I'm sorry for the long wait – hopefully this makes up for it! Please review and enjoy the chapter!**

**-zesty-**


	26. Trouble Approaching

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**A/N: One section of this chapter is dedicated to sasusaku4FreakinEver… At your request, I put a special scene in just for you (you'll know when you get there)**

**7/17/11 Edit: Switched a word around, and made Melody's favorite **_**animal**_** a panda bear, and not her favorite food. Haha, don't you love typos? :D**

**Chapter 26: Trouble Approaching**

"I don't really think red is _both_ of our colors…" Sakura snorted, flipping the page to her text book.

"Red is the only color I look good in." He spoke as though there was absolutely no room for an argument, and others cowered back from the conversation with that stony tone; she didn't even bat an eyelash.

"Gaara, this is about the girl looking beautiful and amazing… Not the _guy_ looking beautiful and amazing…" She rolled her eyes as he leaned closer, itching for more of an argument.

"You don't even want to go." She sighed – he had her there.

Shutting the text book, her eyes lazily flickered to Sasuke, a clear vein popping out of his forehead. She smirked, knowing that he was listening, and becoming frustrated when she was no longer brooding over him. "Okay, how about I get a multi colored dress so we both –"

"Those are _hideous!_" The bloodlust in his tone had a few shrieking and jumping backwards, hiding behind their chairs.

She raised an eyebrow at his abrasive tone. "Ouch. I feel bad for all the girls in the room you just simultaneously offended, and scared shitless." She smiled sweetly at his glare, though he didn't miss the fact she had dropped the suggestion altogether.

"Everyone pay attention for a couple minutes…" Kakashi spoke, contradicting his own instructions as he flicked to the next page in his book. "We have a new student… Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about where you come from and who you are?" That was his way of saying 'you talk, I'm going back to my book'.

"Um…" She thought for a moment, "I'm Melody…" She nodded slowly, "I love to dance, and I'm a sucker for romance novels… My favorite food is Pot au feud, I speak three different languages, and my favorite animal is a panda bear." She smiled, tilting her head to the side, waiting for people's reactions.

The boys were all staring intently at her, while Karin scoffed, "Just another dorky show off…" This seemed to dim the girl's mood as she took a seat to Sasuke's left and stared out the window for a while.

Sasuke glanced over, almost feeling bad for the girl. It was almost the end of the year and she had to transfer… It sounded a lot like him. "Ignore her… She's the town bicycle…" The redhead giggled at Sasuke as though it were a compliment; the blonde sitting next to him seemed to take it as a comfort.

She stuck out her hand, "Melody…"

He glanced down at her hand with a blank expression, "I know… you just introduced yourself."

She retracted her hand then, and stared at him, though said nothing. He noticed the difference between her and Sakura. As the pinkette would have spoken rudely, this one seemed to want to make a good impression.

Wait – why was he thinking about Sakura? He was supposed to be mad at her – gah! Stupid brain thinking about the stupid, witty pinkette next – he was going to stop…

"We can't be friends…" He assured, as she knitted her eyebrows together in confusion, "You like French food." He recognized the dish as the same one Sakura got on their date – there he went again…

Her face brightened, "It's okay! I like a lot of different foods too! Believe it or not, I eat pretty much anything!" His eyes unintentionally swept her body, taking in her lovely curves, and long blonde, perfect hair, with soft, chocolate eyes. Her tanner skin added to the delicate proportion of her body to one's eye. It was… surprisingly something good to look at.

"So who are you?" She didn't waste anytime jumping into a conversation.

"Sasuke." He answered simply, turning slightly and trying to go back to his book.

He didn't notice when all conversation about prom between this newly met Gaara, and Sakura had completely dispersed.

?

Naruto wet his lips, before pushing them into a thin line. He was nervous. There was no doubt about that… He wiped his hands on his jeans, before sucking in a deep breath and moving forward.

Normally the blonde wasn't scared about anything, and yet, asking a simple question had him terrified of rejection. Biting his lip, he backed up, only to come in contact with agirl's hands.

"You _aren't_ backing out!" The pinkette hissed in his ear, "Now go!" She forcefully shoved him forward, and he stumbled, knocking into the girl he was, just moments ago, scared to approach.

Both of them blushed a little, before he scratched his neck and mustered a sheepish smile, "Hey Hinata!"

"H-hi Naruto…" She smiled lightly, grabbing the end of her hair, and running her fingers down it; a nervous habit she had never been able to break.

"Um… I had a question…"

Her face turned from pink to scarlet as she glanced down at the floor, suddenly thinking her shoes were the absolute most _interesting_ things in the whole world. "O-oh?"

"Will you go to prom with me!" He forced out, squeezing his eyes shut and waiting, instinctively, due to his friendship with Sakura, to get slapped for asking such a thing.

She gasped in front of him, and when no impact was made, he peeked open an eye. Her face was even _redder_ than before, believe it or not, but a slow grin grew on his face when he saw the small smile of pure giddiness developing on her cute features.

"Y-yes…" She nodded, at a lost for other words.

"Yes!" He fist pumped the air and whooped, before embracing her, picking her up, and spinning her around in all of his excitement. She laughed, and after seeing all of the stares, her blush deepened.

He ran back to Sakura, leaping on her in a hug, "_She said yes!_"

"I know! I'm right here! I heard the whole thing!" He danced off, and the girl glanced back, waving a laughter-filled goodbye, and went slowly after the blonde, watching him jump with glee, his hyper self coming out, and sharing the news with _everyone_ he came in contact with.

She chuckled at him, shaking her head and grinning, as she suddenly burst into a run, following behind him. "Wait for me, Naruto!"

?

Sasuke lazily blinked, stretching out in his chair. Normally, he'd be fuming in this class. Well – he actually, indeed, _was_, but was doing an awful good job at not showing it today… That – and his letting the emotion get the better of him was making Sakura angry.

He glanced out of the corner of his eyes every once in a while, to see the girl furiously writing something down. Only to have her pencil lead snap from too much pressure. So she'd get up, walks quickly to the pencil sharpener – grind the poor wood until it was at _least_ half an inch smaller, and swiftly return to her seat…

Five minutes later, she would repeat the whole process.

It was actually, during her sixth cycle in twenty minutes, that a flicker of a smile danced upon Sasuke's lips… _something_ was pissing her off, and he was delighted about it.

Though he would never admit it to himself, he was only happy to know she was mad because of _him_. He wanted so desperately to talk to her about what had happened at Karin's party, and that – grudgingly – he didn't feel that it was 'just a bet', but he didn't think he'd ever get that chance.

His emotionally stunted mind morphed that unbelievably terrible ratio… and he figured he just didn't like her anymore… Well – _if_ he even did in the first place… Revenge on his brother, and proving that he was better sure did sweeten the deal.

Closing his eyes and wiggling to readjust himself on the chair, he heard her pencil lead snap again, and had to refrain from laughing. But this time, she didn't get up, and merely glared at her paper, giving up on taking notes altogether.

She was the official mark to the end of notes in their English class. Now that Sasuke didn't have anything to chuckle about anymore, he put his 'bailing class' plan into action.

It started as just one cough, and quickly morphed into a fit, where the teacher actually had to turn around and look at him. "Sasuke? Would you like to go get a drink?" All the girls gasped, leaning forward in their seats, hoping the Uchiha was okay.

He nodded and continued coughing until he had shut the door again. Then he cleared his throat, shoved his hands into his pockets, and moseyed down the hall, wondering where he should go for the remainder of the period.

And then he saw him. His eyes held the same stony expression, though light and sea foam, instead of musky charcoal. He was leaning against the wall conveniently placed next to the drinking fountain, flipping through a packet of unknown text.

Sasuke glared, and decided confrontation was necessary. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"I'm Gaara," He said like a smart ass – that made Sasuke growl.

"No shit," the raven replied harshly, "Why are you so interested in Sakura?" He demanded. Sasuke missed the flicker of a smirk flash across his features. It was exactly what the redhead wanted to hear.

"Am I? What gave you that impression?" He questioned, tilting his head slightly to the side. Sasuke, subconsciously, took a step back.

"You bastard! You break her heart, I'll break your jaw…"

"Time for you to break your own then…" He glared, suddenly seeming like he towered over Sasuke, waves of disapproval and anger rolling off of him.

The raven haired boy shrank back, but only slightly; he narrowed his eyes, "How do you know about that?"

"So you admit it…" The boy said darkly, slamming (could you do that with paper?) shut his thick packet of notes, "You should stay away from her… Otherwise really think of a wise apology…"

With a wild glint in his eye, and a fisted hand, he pulled back and threw a punch straight for the newcomer's face… Only his hand never reached its destination.

His eyes widened as the redhead caught his punch, that bored expression still lingering under the fury on his face. He began to stretch Sasuke's extended fist backwards, and the boy felt the tension in his wrist.

"Be careful," He warned calmly, shoving Sasuke back.

The boy, though he hated to admit it, had no hesitation in getting the _fuck_ out of that kid's way… He _had_ to be a murder or something… No one scared Uchihas…

Only – Gaara just did.

?

Sasuke spent most of the rest of the day sulking and hiding. It was normal for him to sulk, but to _hide?_ He felt like a disgrace… Glaring, he suddenly mumbled something, sitting up from the grass and glancing around.

Okay… so hiding wasn't the right word. He actually had sauntered outside, and simply lounged in the grass for a while, not really feeling in the mood to be lectured by a teacher, or swooned over by classmates. He just felt like being Sasuke for a while…

This time to himself brought him back to the many lonely days he spent at his uncle's house. Of course, at the time, he had enjoyed the solitude, and coming back to live in Konoha was definitely a change in atmosphere. Being swarmed every day by various people was exhausting!

So there he was, lying in the grass, feeling the blades tickle his pale skin as he watched the clouds. This wasn't normally his thing, but he just needed to unwind and have his thoughts to himself for a while.

And they needed to be focused on something different than anything to do with Sakura… Which was pretty much everything in his life… When he thought of Naruto – he thought of _why_ they were fighting…

Sakura.

When he thought of Itachi, he thought of getting revenge and one-upping him… ultimately bringing up _how_ to do so.

Sakura.

He even tried thinking of his art, but that only brought him to his achievement at the Show of Art, which brought him back to the wicked anger he felt when Sai had showed up… Why? Because he had hurt:

_Sakura._

Gah! Why was everything in his life revolving around her? He glared angrily up at the bright, sunny sky, as though it were the sky's fault for his inconvenient life. Soon though, his mind settled down into a dull buzz, not thinking of much of anything.

When finally he sat up and looked around, he realized he had lost track of all time, and maybe even dozed off. That's when he picked himself up off the ground, stuck his hands in his pockets, and meandered back into the school.

Pushing open the door, he glanced down the hallway, and somehow – immediately knew something was wrong.

No one was running around, or making any noise… And he could have sworn students could hear Kakashi's chattering room all the way from this exit. Narrowing his eyes, he shrugged it off (or attempted to at least) and wandered down the hallways, trying to figure out what class he should be in.

The tension was so thick in the air that it could have been cut by a blade, and curiously, Sasuke took caution in quieting his steps. The ominous nature to the hallways was just too much – it was impossible to _want_ to make noise.

Rounding the next corner as silently as he could, he breathed out a sigh of relief. There was Naruto. Considering he hadn't seen anyone else, he was about to (very coldly) ask the blonde what was going on.

And then he turned, sapphire connecting with onyx, and the boy froze. There was something wrong. He opened his mouth to shout, and those big blue eyes got even wider, and the boy took off at a dead sprint.

"Dobe what's –" He hadn't though it would come to that. He was interrupted by Naruto tackling into him, their bodies sliding against the ground and hitting the wall parallel to them.

"Dobe what the –" Again, he was cut off as the tanner boy slapped a hand over his mouth. Sasuke dully noted the sting that surrounded his lips, but ignored it… Naruto never normally looked this suspicious.

Something was definitely wrong…

?

**A/N: Ohh man, I saw Harry Potter last night at 12 :D It was amazing… I mean – there were things wrong with the movie (especially since I read the book) but it was still epic :D**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**-zesty-**


	27. Don't Move

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 27: Don't Move**

Emerald eyes watched the second hand tick away on the clock – it being the only noise in the room. Those seconds turned to minutes, and the minutes seemed like hours… Though she dared not move, it was almost as though she sat up a little straighter in her seat.

The girl next to her was trying to stifle sobs. It was working for the most part, but sometimes, a hiccup would be released, and stares from all of _them_ would land on her, forcing her to shut up.

Ever so quickly, her eyes flickered to the girl next to her, until suddenly…

_Whack!_

She jumped, and cowered back into her seat, as the dark eyes glared at her. It was the only thing she could see on the masked man. His gun slammed down on her wooden desk, and she had felt the person behind her kick her desk with a jolt.

He leaned close, and she could smell the wood dust and whiskey surrounding him. "Don't you be thinking of anything, girl!" He spat, and she flinched instinctively. "Otherwise it might be the _end_ of ya!" He pushed off her desk, roughly shoving it backwards, and walked away again. Her head was bowed as he made his leave, her hands shaking in her lap.

Ever so slowly, she lifted her head to stare once more at the clock, pleading for something more to happen – something _good_ to happen… But as those emerald eyes stared at the clock, seemingly moving in slow motion, something caught her eye.

With a swift waver to her right, she saw bright, sapphire eyes peeping in through the window. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, and moments later, she almost had a heart attack in the deadly silent room. Another head popped up next to Naruto's, and then there they all were.

Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto… Emerald, onyx, and sapphire all locked together.

She pleaded desperately with her eyes to make them leave, but she couldn't move at all. Biting her lip in order to keep from screaming, she begged them to run away, but they didn't seem to comprehend her message.

_Don't do anything stupid Naruto…_ With a quick glimpse of them before their faces disappeared, she added to that statement. _Sasuke…_

?

"Wait… Explain this to me one more time…" Sasuke persisted, clasping his head between his hands, trying to make sense of this whole awkward situation.

Naruto paced quickly in front of him, eyebrows knit together in concern, "I was supposed to be in that class with her…"

"There are people taking kids hostage, and they just so happen to be in that room?"

"I just asked to go to the bathroom…" Naruto shook his head, eyes distantly away from the present.

"And they ordered every other room to stay put…"

"I should have been in there with her, sitting directly to her left…"

"And there's four more guys… So six total, splitting into groups of two, and going after rooms in pairs. So that means they have three rooms under their control…" Sasuke mumbled, after realizing Naruto wasn't going to help him with solving this strange mystery.

"I could have done something."

This caused Sasuke's head to snap up, "Don't be ridiculous, Dobe…" Though he tried to make the conversation familiar, his own voice even sounded foreign to him. "There's nothing you can do to help…"

"I have to try!" He gallantly leapt from his spot.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke demanded with a hard glare.

"I have to do something, Teme!"

"No! You don't! You're going to get yourself killed!" Sasuke also leapt up, and now, being outside the doors of the school, they barely contained their voices in the midst of their argument.

"Naruto, don't be ridiculous!" He tried to reason, his temper rising with his voice.

"You're being ridiculous and selfish! No one is asking you to stay, Sasuke!" Naruto growled, "You've been a selfish jerk the past few weeks, and I don't care if you stay or go! I need to do something! People could get hurt!" He stormed inside, leaving Sasuke stunned in his place.

"I deserved that…" He bitterly remarked, "I have to make sure the damn kid doesn't get himself killed…" He murmured, grudgingly following the blonde inside the building.

?

"What kind of plan do you have?" Sasuke whispered harshly, peeking around the corner.

There was a door open, and they could hear two men talking… Other than that – it was dead silent – just as it had been before.

Naruto's lack of an answer generally spoke as 'I don't know', but this time seemed to be different as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I have to get to the shop… But there's no way to get there without passing the hallway with the guys…" Sasuke glanced around, thinking maybe a diversion would work. Unfortunately for him, everything he thought of, he immediately shot down. "Unless…" Naruto mumbled, standing and walking to the other side of the wall, and down the locker row a ways.

"What are you doing?" He was sure asking more questions than he ever intended on saying…

He pointed up, his ocean eyes shimmering with delight at his brilliant plan, "The vents… They're big – we can climb –"

"Oh no!" Sasuke shook his head vigorously, crossing his hands then uncrossing them in an umpire's 'you're safe' kind of motion.

"It's the only way! Hoist me up!" Sasuke grumbled as he wove his fingers together, and created a small basket for Naruto's foot.

When his black nike sneaker was securely in Sasuke's pale hands, the raven shoved him upward, and above his head, puffing out as though Naruto weighed one hundred pounds heavier than he actually did.

The blonde stumbled for a few moments, trying to fumble around with the vent before pushing it up and over. Taking a firm grip of the edge, he leapt out of Sasuke's awaiting hand, and scampered into the vent.

Staring around, he realized just how creepy and dusty it was up there. He planted the soles of both of his feet to the walls of the vent, and crept through the hole again. Luckily, Sasuke was taller than him, and if he leapt really high, he could reach Naruto (if he didn't make him fall from the ventilation shaft first).

There was a shuffle of feet, and Sasuke glanced around desperately. His ears prickled and he heard those two voices from before move closer to where they were. In a panic, he gave a great jump, and latched his hand onto Naruto's wrist, who yanked him upwards until he could wiggle himself into the vent.

They put the filtered sheet of metal back in place _just_ as two of the men moved below them. After sighing in relief, Naruto leaned against the wall of the vent.

"That was close!" It was Sasuke's turn to slap a hand over the blonde's mouth as he leaned to the bottom of the vent.

"I know I heard voices somewhere! And when we catch those bastards who are disrespecting us by not following _our_ rules – we'll kill the fuckers!" Naruto flinched back, knowing the two were talking about them.

"Dobe, this is suicide…" The raven went back to persuading (or at least trying) the blonde to reconsider this course of action.

"People put themselves in danger every day… I'm not going to let anyone get hurt because I was scared of dying!" Sasuke had to admit – he never really saw this heroic side of Naruto. He had always thought the blonde was kind of a scaredy cat, but now, seeing him as he crawled carefully through the vents, he figured he ought to start thinking otherwise.

It was then that Sasuke realized he _still_ didn't know what the plan was. He voiced this out loud, only to hear Naruto give a short laugh.

"If I tell you, you won't be willing to help anymore…"

Somehow, that gave Sasuke a really bad feeling in his stomach.

?

"Ohh… This is a dead end too!" Naruto sighed and sat back, stretching out his legs down the vent shaft.

Sasuke on the other hand, sat crouched up, hot, and pissed as hell. They had been crawling around for close to thirty minutes. How long would it take to get to the other end of the school? Naruto's directions were what was keeping them…

"Come on Dobe… I'm leading this time!" He growled, tromping down the vent path. Naruto glanced around at the vibrating walls. When Sasuke was angry and throwing a fit – the blonde was scared for their lives.

Three things could happen…

1) Sasuke could turn around and attack him out of pure irritation.

2) Sasuke could be in one of his moods where he just feels the need to break everything… AKA the vent – and they could fall to their death…

Or 3) the same thing could happen in two, except they could fall in a place where the bad guys were… thus killing them also.

He sighed and followed, deciding to stay quiet.

Sasuke himself hit more dead ends and sharp turns than Naruto did, only causing his irritation to erupt further. He began to grumble, and his face was set into an even worse scowl than it normally was. He didn't hear a sound from the blonde behind him – a surprising thing, considering stealth definitely wasn't even in his vocabulary.

When at last they reached the vent they thought was the shop room, Sasuke did no more hesitating. He was dusty, hot, and dying from the smell up there, and shoving his hand through the vent, he barely cringed through his rage at the echoing sound it made.

The students in the room all jumped and screamed, huddling closer to each other than they already were. Many were hiding under tables and desks, and it was completely dark, minus the light seeping through the blinds on the windows.

The teacher jumped out and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sasuke gracefully land, and Naruto hanging from the ventilation system above.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" He asked, his voice gruff. Sasuke shrugged, a bored demeanor overtaking his being.

Naruto began rummaging immediately, "Hey teach, can we borrow that four wheeler and wagon you guys have been working on?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side a little.

"For what –"

"Don't ask, he won't say."

Something dawned upon the teacher then, that Sasuke had originally thought as well. His face was similar to that of a deer's caught in headlights, and he began shaking his head fiercely, "You two _cannot_ go in there and try to play hero!"

"No one else is!" Naruto almost whined, glaring, "I have an idea!"

"No! I'm not going to let my students –" Naruto stormed over, whipping with ninja-like speed behind the man. "_Please…_" 

"Absolutely –" He never had a chance to finish arguing, as Naruto knocked him out on the spot.

Had it been a class room with a lot of girls, someone probably would have done something. But for a class full of boys who could care less if Sasuke and Naruto got themselves into trouble, it was easy to take the things they needed.

"Why are we doing this?" Sasuke groaned once more, as they unlocked the door and padded down the hallway as silently as possible.

"No one asked you to come," Naruto whispered back harshly.

He grumbled something unintelligent, but spoke no further. But they were disrupted in their journey by a horrifying bang, and the blonde whipped around, fear gripping his sapphire eyes. And though Sasuke would always deny it, had anyone called him out on it, his eyes held that same exact fear.

?

Sakura sat straight up in her chair, eyes still glued to the clock. She dared not move them now, her body numb. _Naruto and Sasuke were still out there…_ They could be dead, and she would never even know. If she knew Naruto, she was aware of the fact he was going to stupidly try and save everyone…

But he didn't have a gun… and there were six men ready to take on any stupid high schoolers who decided to tango with them.

To say that she was scared shitless was an understatement.

The only thing she could hear was the man's footsteps – the slight creak of his shoe as it moved across the cheap tile, and her own heartbeat flooded her ears. Biting down on her lip, she concentrated on the twinge of pain it produced, until the copper taste pooled into her mouth, and she stopped biting so hard.

There wasn't much to try and keep her mind entertained. There were only a few things running through her head. No longer was her mind filled with the problem of Sasuke and prom, Gaara and her dress, and that stupid Melody girl who had just moved into the district (bad timing for her), but the thought of people she loved, and even people she hated, getting shot down and killed… The fear that gripped her was unlike anything she had ever felt in her entire life…

And because of that, she was most afraid.

Being at the front of the room, she couldn't see anyone else's posture, or expressions. She could only hear the quick breathing of some (only when the man wasn't near by), and the once-muffled sobs of the girl sitting next to her, who had eventually choked up and stopped.

Time elapsed slowly, as she gripped one hand in the other, and vise versa, until she was sure they were so tingly that they would simply fall off, limp to the floor.

Suddenly there was a sound so quick in the back of the room she wasn't even sure she had heard it. But ohhh the men had… The two sprang into action, and before she could process what was going on, safety ticks were clicked back, and orders were being shouted at all of her peers.

The one magic word that caused the two bad guys to spring into action?

A heroic and brave Tenten at the back of the room had stealthily taken out her cell phone, and dialed three beautiful numbers. Her volume was already down, but she would have to say something…

_Help_.

It was so quiet, that no one dared even _think_ they heard it, but that illusion was shattered quickly. Suddenly, the men were shoving people closest to her on the ground, and one grabbed her by the hair.

"Leave her alone!" A few daring people shouted, and Sakura, horrified, found herself as one of them.

She was a scared girl, yes… but never, _ever_ was she one to keep her mouth shut, even when it would benefit her.

One man screamed in rage, and they kept yelling, directing people with giant waves of their arms, and she watched through scared, emerald eyes as a gun was directed at her person.

"_DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE FIRING END OF THIS?_" He demanded more than asked.

She winced, tears prickling her eyes, though she willed herself not to cry. He raised the gun straight above him and shot, causing many in the room to let go of the silence, shattering it, and scream, diving to take cover.

Suddenly, what had been in complete control, morphed into erotic disarray within a matter of seconds.

"_STOP MOVING UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET SHOT!_" But his voice had been drowned out by a number of yells from his partner, and the high pitched shrieks of girls in the room.

Someone tugged her arm, and slammed her into the ground. Her vision swam and her head throbbed, but she found, that without her mind fully processing it, she was scampering under a desk to take cover.

One man, his temper flaring, shot out all of the windows – there were six that lined the walls – shattering every piece of glass.

Cries for people's name bounced along the room, as sobs, muffled angry shouts, and movement all followed.

And then, something drastic was done to retain order. The man closest to the hiding place of the students grabbed under the table as though he was going fishing. The student shrieked as she was dragged out from underneath the table.

And suddenly a gun shot off, and all fell silent once more…

Sakura's eyes widened in hurtful recognition, as she felt bile rise into her throat. She knew the girl…

?

**A/N: Well, how was that? IT was so sad to write, and I didn't like writing it… but I liked the intensity of the chapter.**

**Tell me what you think of it, sorry if it seemed either too rushed, or way too slow **** Just let me know! :D**

**-zesty-**


	28. Kick Some Ass

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**A/N: It definitely kind of upsets me when people question the point of this event. If I told you if it had a point, it would ruin the rest of the story. Please just read to find out, instead of trying to pry for answers and telling me it has no point. Thank you.**

**Chapter 28: Kick Some Ass**

Somehow, Sasuke figured with that sound echoing through the hallways, Naruto would maybe want to turn back. He would let the police officers trying to get inside handle it…

Of course though…

That's just not how the blonde worked.

He moved now, abandoning all silence, sprinting through the hallway, pushing the squeaky wagon and four wheeler. He seemed to forget that there were two other rooms, equaling to four other men, that could run out into the hallway after hearing the gunshot.

He thought he should make a point to tell Naruto this, until he suddenly skidded to a stop before rounding a corner. Sasuke grunted and dug his heels into the ground in an attempt to stop quicker. The blonde slapped him to the side of the hall, hard enough to make him glare, though he stayed quiet.

There were some shouts and yelps, and the sound of running feet. The raven knew that must be the other men herding into the room where the gunshot had gone off. He only hoped it wasn't in the room they had viewed earlier.

When footsteps turned to shouts, Sasuke and Naruto peeked around the corner to see if anyone was in the hallway. When the coast was clear, the blonde slowly began to push the four wheeler out into the open.

Sasuke had the unlucky job of seeing which room the bad guys were in, and so went along sneaking across the hallway. _Naruto's lucky I'm like a ninja… _He thought to himself, poking half of his head into the doorway of the first room.

All there was in there were scared students huddling together. Definitely not a room that looked like people were being held hostage. He tried the next room, and found that all six of the men were arguing with each other, crying students, who were paralyzed to their spots, frozen in place, and one harmed peer, who had yet to be identified.

He glanced back, seeing Naruto creep out into the open. He motioned, beckoning the blonde forward.

Unexpectedly, the shorter teenager lifted the wagon and positioned it so it leaned against the four wheeler. He grinned at Sasuke and waved him back, and as soon as he got there, shocking words escaped his lips.

"_Push me…_"

"Are you crazy?"

"Sh!" Naruto whispered harshly, eyebrows knitting together into a hard stare, "You told me you would do this with me… I need you to push me…"

"But –"

"I'm not done!" He almost barked, but made sure he wasn't too loud, "When I get enough speed, jump on the back, and cover us with the wagon… This thing won't work, but if I can get it going fast enough to hit them –"

"You're crazy!"

"It's not heavy… Feel it!" He instructed; with a sigh, Sasuke obeyed, realizing that it really _wasn't_ heavy at all.

He let out a puff of breath, "_Fine!_"

"Thank you, Sasuke…"

"Hn." Flexing his hands for a moment, he set his attention on the door, "You'll steer?"

"I wouldn't be doing anything otherwise!" He grinned, and leaned forward, his eyes locked onto that door.

Sasuke too in a deep breath, knowing that Naruto wouldn't back down from this. Those men weren't going to let the police in without killing a _lot_ of people, but he figured they would be more apt to focus in on two students not obeying their rules – as they stated earlier when they escaped into the vents.

_Here we go…_ His mind thought, and he wondered lightly what Itachi would say if he could see the absolute ridiculousness that him and Naruto were attempting…

_People risk their lives to save people every day…_ His best friend's words echoed through his head, and suddenly, after such a long time without Naruto by his side, he realized the blonde was truly the only person he had at this point in time…

That was ultimately what led him to propel forward, digging his feet into the tile to heave the awkward piece of equipment into movement…

And it came surprisingly easy… Soon it was moving so fast, that he could barely keep up – and _that_ he figured, was the best time to jump on.

?

Some brave soul had maneuvered over to the girl that Sakura had just deemed her enemy a few hours ago. That new girl – boy did she ever have luck on her side, or what – was shot in the hand.

She wasn't unconscious, but there was a surprising amount of blood, and the actual shock had taken over her being more than pain ever would. It was then that the pinkette noticed Karin at her side, blindingly latched onto her arm.

Blinking, the girl was very surprised to find that she hadn't shaken the redhead off yet, and was even more stunned when she realized no fear welled up in her body. She was shocked too, and the men arguing with each other, anger directed somewhere besides her and her peers, shattered the frightful illusion they had cast over the students when they first walked into the room.

Before she had any more time to debate on the subject, a noise prickled in her ears. She barely moved her head, fearing to grasp the attention of the men still screaming at each other, while students closest to them cowered away.

Karin, it seemed, as the next to realize it, and soon more students looked around, trying to identify the noise.

"What is that?" The redhead whispered to her, crimson eyes lit with confusion.

Sakura's thoughts were broken into, like a hammer to glass, when a giant _thing_ (there was no other way to describe it at first glance) crashed into the room.

It knocked the flimsy desks over, sent chairs skidding across the room, and students flocking all over the place, trying to flee from another scary creature. Sakura slammed back against the wall, Karin still at her side when an engine fired up.

People yelped and dove out of the way, and now, the shooters picked up on it as well, seemingly turning around in slow motion.

Everything was happening too fast as the vehicle slammed into the men for the first time. Their grunts and cries rang about in the room, students moving around too quickly to catch what was going on.

"Sakura!" She glanced over and saw Ino trying to pull Melody out of the way. The pinkette freed herself from Karin's death grip and somehow stumbled over.

"What is that?"

"We're all going to die!"

"Oh my god!"

Everyone was shouting at one time, and Sakura was having a hard time collecting her thoughts. Without thinking, she shoved her blonde best friend out of the way, barely helping her to dodge what she now suspected to be a four wheeler.

Through all of the chaos, and with a somehow still level head, she saw a green four wheeler, with a wagon in the front to protect the driver. It seemed to have just jumped to live, having been in motion so quickly… But that wasn't what she was interested in…

She recognized that driving…

The same that had –

"That's how I hit the stupid cow!" Naruto's voice rang out with glee, and she almost let out a sob.

Not only was she eternally grateful to the blonde now – she was scared to death of something happening.

"It's that voice!"

"The little shits that escaped us earlier!"

"To do this no doubt!"

"Get your fucking class room under control!" One man gruffly barked, and then…

Gunshots…

Everyone began to scream, and dove for cover again. With a jerk of the wagon, she caught a glimpse of Sasuke, the defender while Naruto drove around crazily on wheels. She squeezed between the shelf and the wall, dragging Ino and Melody with her, Karin tagging along as well – desperate for companionship.

"Everyone take cover!" She heard Sasuke yell, the bullets ricocheting off the wagon.

Fretfully, she watched from the safety of the shelf, praying that a bullet would not pierce the rusty old wagon. Naruto ran one more guy over, and quickly spun the wheel. Sasuke was right there to cover him. She watched as the amazing duo zoomed around the room, hitting supplies, trashing the room, and probably saving everyone's life.

And then, their plan began to fail…

The engine died in the four wheeler, and from all the spinning and turning, they were losing momentum. On top of that… The men abandoned the guns and decided to try and attack by running and jumping…

Something that now seemed like it was going to work.

"Naruto!" She screamed, her voice only one of many that were screaming words of fear, encouragement, and pain.

One of the bulkier men, still clad in his mask (while a couple others had abandoned all of the tacky clothing long ago), tackled Naruto off of the four wheeler. Without a driver, it crashed into the wall, the raven toppling off of the side.

Many movements were made that she could not follow, but the most prominent one caused relief to flood through her body.

As the man wrestled Naruto, and another shoved Sasuke onto the ground, the stampede of footsteps trampled into the room. There, a small force of police, Tsunade fit with a gun, and a brave Shikamaru stood, all part of the plan in getting the kids to safety.

"Freeze!" The head of the police group hollered, and easily, a few of the men surrendered.

The one who was closest to the kids snatched one up quickly, and Sakura realized she had lost Melody from her sight. Tears pricked her eyes as emotion splashed onto her face.

"Put the gun down!" The man ordered.

"Don't it!" Tsunade demanded, clicking the safety off of the gun. She didn't want anyone in this classroom to get hurt, and when she spotted an injured Melody, her anger flared. "Drop the girl, and come easily!"

"What'd be in it for me? I'm just gonna die any –" Suddenly, a gunshot went off, and blood poured out of the man's arm, that fell limp to his side.

Sasuke scrambled across the floor, swiping the gun, from his hand, towards the wall, where Sakura gingerly stopped it, careful not to allow it to go off.

The raven caught a collapsing Melody, and when she stared, awed, into the eyes of her savior, she flung her arms around him, pushing her lips to his own.

After that display, each man surrendered quickly, and quietly, glaring down the blonde and raven who sat, panting, in the middle of the room.

Tsunade handed the head chief's gun back to him with a lazy grin, "Thank you for your help…"

He nodded to the two sophomores in the room, "You best be thanking them… Without their help – there wouldn't have been enough distraction – or time – for us to get in and help out…"

Paramedics rushed in, before anyone could hear more, and Melody was helped out of the room, but not before she had a good, long glimpse at Sasuke.

?

It was a healthy chunk of time later, and after the paramedics had checked Sakura for any trauma or injury, she sat in the grass, watching as they helped all of the other students involved in the three rooms that were held hostage.

While the day seemed like it was such a long time ago, she watched the sun sink deeper beneath the tree's of the horizon. They hadn't been allowed to go home yet…

In her mind, it seemed like a slightly random event. For them to waltz into the school, and try to take over… Then again – weren't all things like that random to an innocent person?

It wasn't the day's events that she was thinking about. Konoha's citizens were notorious for recovering quickly from a tragedy in which no one died, and she knew the school system, with Tsunade at the head, and the teachers loyally at her side, would be back to normal in a couple of days. It was rather, Naruto and Sasuke…

Or to be more specific… Sasuke.

She knew that somewhere deep inside, Sasuke had a heart. It was hurt, from a life's worth of tragedy, coddled into the moment of his parents' deaths, but… to show this emotion so powerfully in front of everyone? She didn't think it was possible… Sasuke was more than he made himself look like…

He really did care about people, otherwise, he would have never gone with Naruto… He would have never risked his life… She leaned her head on her knees, pulled close to her chest as she watched the students reunite with each other, after such a frightening event.

Though she didn't let it show on her face, there was something stirring in her stomach that she couldn't pin point… She hated Sasuke, and yet, when she saw that girl kiss him – she wasn't sure what kind of emotion exploded into her insides, but it hadn't gone away yet.

And before she could think any further on the subject, two people were suddenly by her side. A beaming Naruto was glowing so bright, he could have been a light source. And Gaara, who was as neutral (most mistook it for being pissy) as ever, but still relieved to see the girl unharmed.

"So what happens now?" He questioned, nodding his head towards Melody, thanking Sasuke for the fifth time in the last few moments.

She glanced at Naruto and saw how happy he was that students were laughing and most importantly – safe.

"Thank you," he turned his head and stared at her, sapphire to emerald, "For saving my life, Naruto…" She tilted her head and let on a small smile.

He chuckled and put his hands behind his neck, "It was natural instinct!"

She socked him in the arm for that.

And finally the announcement was made that they could go home, and the blonde hoisted her up. She dusted off the back of her pants, and felt a presence lingering on her. Once she glanced up, she caught eyes for only a second with Sasuke, who quickly turned back around and shocked his hands into his pockets, keys jingling.

Somehow, she realized just then, that that feeling was jealousy.

?

**A/N: So I know it took me a long time to update, and this was… kind of more summarized than anything, but quite frankly, I just wanted to get out the parts that mattered most: Naruto & Sasuke's friendship reblossoming, Melody kissing Sasuke, & Sakura figuring out she's jealous :)**

**I hope you guys enjoyed nevertheless! :D Leave me some love?**

**-zesty-**


	29. Preparations for Prom

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 29: Preparations for Prom**

As suspected from Sakura herself, when she pushed open the doors of the school four days later, it was as though everything was back to normal.

You had your gossipers staring at people, whispering, and giggling as they walked by. You had your jocks trying to play football with a geek in the wave of students. You had your quiet people just trying to shift by all of the moving bodies and bags, and you had the rest of the students who didn't give a damn where they were placed in the social world.

Sakura, just as she had many months ago, slinked against the wall in an attempt to get through the crowd. She recalled Ino bounding up to her, speaking briefly about how Shikamaru would 'never make a move' before she saw Sasuke for the first time…

Sasuke…

She hadn't seen him in the last few days, and she wondered if he was traumatized due to caring about people for once. But then thinking about it – she hadn't seen Itachi lately either… Thinking about the both of them together – ever since she discovered the truth behind their motives – gave her the chills, but she was still curious, nevertheless.

"Sakura!" This time, it was the blonde boy running over to her, worry etched into his expression.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" She asked immediately, tilting her head and letting her hair fall over her shoulder.

"I haven't seen Teme or bigger Teme since school that day! What do you think happened to them? Do you think they got eaten? Or maybe the guys broke out of jail and got revenge – or –"

She jerked her thumb backwards, "Maybe you should go ask yourself…" He stared beyond her shoulder, and saw Sasuke quietly open the door.

Normally, people would glance in fear at him, due to his pissy scowl. Now today, it was simply confusion. There was no anger, no regret, no _nothing_ in his eyes. It was just blank.

"Teme!" Naruto lunged towards his best friend, who simply shook him off – a usual gesture, but the weird part was: no name calling came after.

People stared as the raven walked by them, hands stuffed casually (though Sakura noted, almost stiffly today) into his pockets, and as soon as he turned the corner, whispers erupted.

Soon, the school switched from cliché and cliques, to a room of people with one common interest: Sasuke's attitude. Geeks whispered to cheerleaders, gossipers to the quiet people, and a jock even paid attention to that girl who had been following him for the last couple of months, hoping to be noticed enough to get asked to prom.

Sakura tilted her head, but didn't have a lot of time for thought. The bell rang, and it seemed the entire student body dropped their conversation and meandered off to class. Luckily for the pinkette, she had class with him next.

Though she wondered… would it be appropriate to ask him what was up?

?

Sasuke sat in Kakashi's class, attempting to look anywhere but to his right. The girl had walked in a little while after him, and sat where she normally did in the front row. This time, Gaara sat behind her, and Naruto sat behind Sasuke, breathing down his neck.

He noticed briefly that the girl had tried to start up a conversation with the redhead, but he had only grunted, furious that people were much more interested in Sasuke's attitude today, than their fear of him being a murder _maybe_ being true.

And after her momentary distraction, he felt her gaze on him, definitely questioning what was wrong with him. He understood that she was angry still, but was a little bit curious as to why she was pestering him by _staring._ It was rude, and irritating.

He yearned for something more to do, for if he glanced to the corner of his desk to grasp his book, he would for sure see her face, and be sucked into some sort of conversation, whether it be bickering or grumbling.

"Hey…" And suddenly, altogether the gazes (from more than just Sakura) stopped, and he puffed out a breath if relief. He had a distraction.

Turning slightly, his eyes flickering to her hand, he wondered if, in her friendly obsession of talking when they first met, he should engage in dialogue with her. He felt Naruto's shift, and then stiff posture, and _almost_ let on a grin.

"Hey…" His voice fell from his mouth coolly, and he was surprised it was that confident on a day like today.

"So…" She puckered her lips, and then locked her chocolate eyes with his charcoal ones once more. "Thanks again, ya know… for kind of saving my life."

"Hn," was his reply, but that didn't stop her from proceeding.

"So…" She started again, almost too casually, "you know, there's this thing called prom coming up…"

Oh is that what she wanted? His gaze slid to her again, and she recoiled – maybe from the look he was giving her. "Hn?" He raised an eyebrow. The nervous girl in front of him was letting his solitary mind slip from memories for just a moment to listen to what she had to say.

"Well… erm…" Suddenly, her eyes brightened, "Are you going with anyone?"

And then his face fell flat once more. That disgusting feeling that had been gripping his stomach for the last few days engulfed him again, and he turned away for only a moment. He caught one quick glance of the pinkette from the corner of his eye, and slowly turned back to Melody.

"Did you want to go together?" He asked bluntly, and everyone in the room gasped. He even noticed Kakashi's eye shift from his book, up to his students.

"Y-yeah!" She beamed, "I would love to!"

Though his mood was shit the last few days, due to reasons he wouldn't share with the world (and somehow, Itachi had pegged within the first five minutes), he would never forget his triumph due to the meep that accidentally escaped the emerald eyed girl next to him.

?

"Ino, why exactly am I doing this?" She questioned, her converse slapping hard against the ground as he friend dragged her along by her aching arm.

"Because! You want to be part of something?"

"You say it like it was a question…" She grumbled.

"Why are you so crabby today?" the blonde pestered, her words coming out more sharply than she intended them to. She stopped and turned, "Seriously, I'm worried about you…"

"Don't be, pig…" She shrugged, and let on a grin, "I just really don't know how I got sucked into putting up prom decorations?"

"Oh there's more than just us! It won't be that hard," she giggled, "Tenten invited us to help, even though we aren't old enough to be on the committee… I think she loves my style! Probably like everyone else," she nodded, as though she knew no different.

Sakura laughed, simply because her best friend could be so ignorant at times, "Well, that's good… Karin won't be invited then…" The girls snickered, "Though I do have to say, she hasn't tried to abuse anyone since those guys broke in…"

"I think she's still pretty spooked about the whole ordeal, " Ino shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Or maybe she is saving everyone a second trauma in one week?" Sakura suggested.

They walked in silence for a few steps, before glancing at each other and scoffing, "Naahh…"

"Hey so… What do you think about Sasuke's prom date?"

Sakura rolled her eyes; she knew she would have to play it cool… She didn't want to seem interested – Ino would try something, "Good for him that he found someone worthy of his poor attitude…"

She nodded curtly. The girl was a fighter for her best friend, and the hate she hurled at the Uchiha (though she still believed him incredibly sexy) after they had found out about the dare was incredible… Sakura had seen Ino angry before, but _this_…

It shocked her…

But she had slipped up; Ino had seen the looks Sakura had accidentally thrown his way, and she knew that the pinkette wasn't over him… No matter how many times the girl tried to tell her own mind that she was…

Pushing open the door to the building, she gasped when she walked inside. Lights lined the edge between the wall and the ceiling, and astonishing wall hangings were strung up everywhere, as this was definitely the area to be if you wanted to take a picture in front of something cute.

There was a sign in table, and a place to order pictures already, and as she walked on, she recognized raffle tables, and a few small games to play. With widened eyes, she moved into the area with the dance floor. Circular tables dotted the area, not all set up yet, as there was a defined, large rectangle in the middle of the room for dancing, the corners marked with a set of assorted balloons.

The theme was underwater, and blue glittery decorations, and fake fish were set up everywhere. She shook her head – this was already amazing, why did they need Ino and Sakura's help?

"Ino! Sakura!" Tenten bounded over, a happy grin on her face, "You guys made it! What do you think so far? It's not much, but… It's a start!"

"I would be happy with a prom that looked like this!" Sakura spluttered, still in shock. Ino rolled her eyes at the girl's behavior.

"Don't mind her… This could definitely use some cleaning up!"

Tenten laughed, "That attitude is what had you invited here in the first place, Ino!" She turned to Sakura, letting on a smirk, "You're here because we were told you were a hard worker," She joked, and the pinkette grinned.

"Hey Billboard, you want to go shopping tomorrow for dresses right?"

The best thing about Konoha's prom? People didn't buy dresses until only a few days before… Everything was a mad rush, and no one was buying the same thing because it didn't come back into stock fast enough. It was a perfect combination of pressure and fun.

"I guess we have no other choice, right?" She turned her head as she picked up a string of lights.

"Hey that's cool!" Tenten beamed, "Can I come too?"

"Sure! We have to pick up Hinata one the way – she doesn't have anyone to help her pick something out…" The brunette nodded, and grabbed a stepping stool for the emerald eyed girl.

"Are you and Neji going together?" Ino gushed, blinking her widened eyes.

A faint blush crept onto Tenten's face, "Yeah… It took forever for him to ask me, but I'm glad he did! It's going to be _such _an awesome junior prom!"

The conversation batted back and forth like this for a while, others joining in occasionally, and a small group formed for their dress shopping expedition. She would have preferred it be people she knew, but the more the merrier, right? She figured _all_ of them wouldn't be able to lie if something looked bad on her…

?

Sasuke glanced around the shop, "Is this really necessary?"

"You have to get a tux for prom, Sasuke…" Itachi walked in front of him, and Naruto was faithfully behind him.

The raven grumbled, particularly irritated that day…

He had been trying to avoid it… His random act of kindness, and the praise he kept receiving for it, reminded him of the long awaited date, officially marking the ten year anniversary of his parents' death…

Itachi knew it too, though he tried not to let it bother him; he tried to stay strong for Sasuke, and though somewhere in the back of his angry little mind, he appreciated the gesture, he was just more annoyed they couldn't be open about it… Of course, who was he to talk? The emotionally constipated one…

"Hey you know, Sasuke… I hope she gets a blue dress, because if you aren't in blue, I'm going to be pretty concerned you're going to be ugly –"

He turned and death glared at Naruto, but that didn't shut the blonde up. He babbled on, and part of the teenager appreciated that… The blonde must have known something was up – he was far smarter than Sasuke anticipated…

"How about this one?" Itachi held up a classic tux, very plain, very… boring.

"Whatever…" Sasuke stated, folding his arms and looking to the side with a pure scowl.

"That's not fun!" Naruto whined, "If Sasuke won't pick it, I'll just have to help!"

"_No!_" Sasuke emphasized, "You'll pick something white, or some shit like that…" He shook his head, _"Fine!_" He answered to no one, exasperated, "I'll look for one!" He stomped away, mumbling something about setting the whole place ablaze with a black flame that could never be put out…

"You know, I was only asking if he liked this one…" Itachi spoke, helplessly. Naruto shrugged and followed the taller teenager as he picked his way through the racks.

"Am I _buying_ a tux?"

"No – you have to get a new one every year…" Itachi nodded, "Oh look… The tux I got for my freshman year…" He smirked, and ran a hand down the smooth jacket.

Sasuke studied it for a moment. It was very plain, yet highly sophisticated… The tie (though would change color with the dress) had very faint, shining lines across it, giving a variety of look and texture to it…

The shoes that came with it were shined and dressy, though not dorky looking, or too over the top… The jacket pocket came with the handkerchief people folded in complicated ways to make it look cool (though that would also change with the color of the dress), and the buttons on the jacket were small enough so they weren't gaudy.

When he found himself staring at it far too long, he glanced away after feeling it. It was comfortable and relaxed, and right away he knew that was the one he wanted. But he couldn't _possibly_ get it! Itachi had worn that same one, if not, something exactly replicating it… He wouldn't give his older brother that bonding satisfaction.

He moved on, and after an irritating half an hour, where Naruto had bounded over to his black, shiny tux that seemed to nail his personality right on the head, and Itachi found a suave, smooth looking one for his senior year, Sasuke was left without one.

Grudgingly, he grabbed the first tux off of a wrack, determined to have it look okay. It was plain, and simple, no pockets, and a bowtie. He flinched – it wasn't what he wanted, not by a long shot, but he didn't want to go back to that damned tux!

So he shrugged, throwing it on like it was exactly what he wanted, and let the girl measure him all out. He took a mental note (with his amazing Uchiha brain, and memorized) all of the measurements, incase of a sudden change of mind…

As Itachi paid for both of the tuxes, and Naruto tried to argue down the price of his, Sasuke glanced to the assortment of colored ties hanging on the wall. Instead of thinking of his own date, he wondered just what color Sakura would be sporting at the main event…

?

"Ino, we've been at this for hours… Let's just throw in the towel, I'll wear a pair of sweats…"

Said girl gasped and shook her head rapidly, "No! We're close to finding it, I can feel it!"

"You said that two hours ago…"

Ino glanced down at her own sparkling bag. Hers was an easy pick from the prom shop on the first floor… She found it after only thirty minutes of digging. Sakura was a little more picky – her delicate skin tone, and let's face it, awkward hair color made it difficult to match colors correctly.

"Let's just try one more store, and if you can't find the dress… We'll head out for the day, and I'll play a round of video games with you and Sasori… If we _do_ find the dress, you buy it no matter the price, and we go get ice cream…"

Those video games were sounding pretty sweet, "Deal!" They shook hands and smirked at each other, almost _running _to the next store.

As soon as Sakura saw it, she _knew_ she would hate everything in there, and that made revenge all the sweeter.

"So, I was thinking… We'd play that zombie game…" She nodded, "And I know Sasori's going to be home, because practice ended forty-five minutes ago, and he already has his tux…"

Most of the other girls had long since abandoned hope, and after finding their own dresses, said good-bye. Only Hinata, Ino, and Tenten remained… Sakura didn't fell _all_ bad that they were still around – Hinata still had to find hers.

Ino's was classic… It was a light blue, crystal beads running along the chest, and down the side, a sparkling broach bunching the dress on the right hip, as it cascaded down _just_ sweeping the floor. With a set of three inch heels, she would need _no_ alterations.

Tenten was going to sport a short, green dress. It was a tight, strapless dress, that flared at the waist and spun when she twirled, and she said, though she hated dresses (not too different from Sakura) she really liked dancing, and it would feel _great_ to watch it spin around Neji's legs… Plus, she would really get a kick out of seeing Neji in a green tie.

Sakura helped Hinata with her traumatic predicament first. We searched the wracks, but no one was prepared for what Ino picked out. Everyone had to admit – that girl _knew_ how to read someone's _perfect_ fashion.

The dress was a princess ball gown. The whole front was showered in small sparkles, with a simple teal sash with a rose, substituted for a bow. The very top layer of the dress was only half, and it started at the middle of the sash and fell to Hinata's knees. The second layer fell a little wider than that, and both were hemmed with flowering jewels.

The dress would reach to the floor, and she would only need a little off with the small heels she was confident enough to walk in. The teal dress was topped off with a crystal hem that made a wave design at the bottom, flowering up in some parts, and getting low on other parts.

She looked positively stunning in it…

And that simply left Sakura. With all three of them gushing over their dresses, she felt slightly left out, but knew she wouldn't find anything she liked. Just as a joke, to lighten her mood more than theirs, she ventured over to the _for sale_ wrack, or the 'death wrack' as Ino enjoyed calling it.

Shifting around the various materials, she spotted something that caught her eye. A one-strap dress, the strap itself about three inches wide, and while crossing over the left breast, onto the right, drew outward. The entire thing was made of sparkles. The rest of the dress was a Champaign purple color, and after checking with her new found (courtesy of Ino) style skills, she matched the color with her hair perfectly.

It was a loose, yet still slimming, mermaid dress. It wasn't to the extreme that she couldn't walk, but it flared out a noticeable amount more, after it pasted her knees.

She pulled it off the wrack, confused as to if this was her dress or not, and the three other girls gasped: this was no joking thing…

?

"You honestly like cotton candy flavor the best?" Ino shook her head at the girl, "You're crazy!"

Sakura watched the last of her hard-earned babysitting money float away, as she bought the last ice cream cone.

"Yay! Strawberry!" Ino cheered as she took the cone, but rolled her eyes at Sakura's haunted expression, "Still upset because you found your dress?"

"Shouldn't your mood be happy?" 

The pinkette didn't say anything more, causing the others to laugh.

"This Saturday…" Ino beamed, her eyes glittering. She had been to prom last year, but it was corny, and not nearly as wonderful as the one this year. "Is going to be perfect!"

As much as Sakura wanted to believe the blonde girl, she felt like things were _not_ going to be all fluffy and fairytales as everyone hoped… Maybe it had something to do with the way her anger bubbled when she saw Melody, or the way she kept finding Sasuke take glances at her…

She tried to be optimistic and smile, as she licked her ice cream cone.

Maybe all of this was just her imagination…

?

**A/N: So sorry for the late update! But I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm hoping you guys are all looking forward to the big night! I know I am! **

**This is going to be the climax, so I might need some extra time on the update, just so I don't do something that will disappoint you guys (I sometimes do that haha)**

**Oh! Also! I'm going to have a new story coming out soon… It's called**

_**Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold**_

**It's SakuraxSasuke, and for all of you who like this fic, you'll definitely like that one :) it starts differently, and has a bit of a different plot, but hopefully you'll all enjoy it the same. Stay tuned for details!**

**-zesty-**


	30. Bullet Proof

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**A/N: School, along with a bad case of writer's block, and a bit of disappointment has made it so this update was far too late. I'm sad that I've lost my reviewers, as I think, this is probably one of the more interesting parts of the story.**

**Hopefully, I still have all of my readers though, and you're still enjoying the story.**

**Chapter 30: Bullet Proof**

Sasuke opened the limo door and stretched. He watched as spot lights flitted through the sky, and already a long line was forming outside the vintage building. It was large, and what he thought, was an over-the-top place to have prom…

Turning around, he automatically put his hand down in front of the opening. A delicate hand slipped into his, and he pulled lightly, helping her out. When the girl finally filled his eyes, a disappointment stirred in his stomach.

Melody was beautiful… but the corners of every part of his body were wondering if he would have looked better with a certain pinkette on his arm. He dropped her hand emotionlessly as she gained her balance, and straightened out his tux.

Glancing around, he wondered if Itachi had taken notice that he had switched his tux. In the end, he'd gone with his older brother's previous suit, knowing too well it would never leave his mind – Sasuke _always_ had to look his best…

Naruto rounded the limo and loyally to his side, not daring to abandon him on a night as uncomfortable as this one. Many people in the same place, dancing and hot, stuck together in stuffy outfits… It was not his forte, but maybe he could make it work. Hinata looked lovely next to him, but didn't compare to who he knew he would be seeing sometime soon…

"You ready to go, teme?" The voice was soft, and the raven knew exactly what the blonde meant by that…

So after all this time – Naruto had it figured out, when Sasuke was just discovering it for himself… The boy had feelings for the girl, no matter how much he wanted to avoid confronting it… And Dobe had known all along… funny how that worked.

Sucking in a breath, and glancing at his date, he answered, "Hn."

The building was grand, and in Sasuke's opinion, a bit over the top. It was cryptic, a castle with long archways and high staircases. A grand staircase had been decorated on the way to the doors, with lights streaming dimly through strung up bulbs lining the path. A long line had gathered, anxious to get into the party. He wondered vaguely if the pinkette was already there, or if she would be arriving soon.

Shaking his head, he tried to get her to leave his mind as they moved forward, awaiting the events of the night to begin.

?

As the night pressed forward with surprising speed, Sakura settled into her seat, punch in hand. Her face was hot from jumping around so much, and a slow song had just emersed from the speakers and the dj. She decided she would take this time to have a breather. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Shikamaru swallowed his pride and asked an amazingly unsuspecting Ino to dance. The girl watched on, until a voice caught her attention.

"I really am excited to be here with you…" She glanced to her right, and saw seafoam eyes boring into her face.

She gasped, "Gaara? Excited to be at a _prom_?" A mock squeak escaped her throat as she threw a hand to her forehead, "This is an outrage!"

"We haven't been able to wreak havoc together in a long time…" He let on a dangerous grin, "It'll be fun…"

"Not too much though," She warned with a wink, "we wouldn't want to ruin it for _everybody_ now…"

"Who's this we you talk about?" He questioned, adding on his own devious expression.

She rolled her eyes, "I don't know if you're ever going to change, Gaara…"

"Your life would be so boring without me…" He stood abruptly, causing her to turn entirely towards him as he stuck out a stiff hand. "Want to dance?"

More heat crept onto her face as she smiled and took it. With surprising grace he swept her onto the dance floor, and took his position. She couldn't hold back, "Wow, you can dance too?"

He only smirked slightly, before they fell into the flow of the music. She listened for a while, as she leaned closer to Gaara, observing the few happy couples around them. Her thoughts drifted, no matter how hard she tried to stop them, to Sasuke.

Her mind wandered through the endless possibilities, curious as to if he and Melody were taking the same exact steps herself and Gaara were at that same moment in time. She wondered, only for a moment, if he felt the same thing right now as her…

What that feeling was, she had yet to discover. Though, she was beginning to see that she hadn't lost feelings for Sasuke… She swore to herself she wouldn't fall in love, and yet here she was…

Somewhere in the back of her thoughts, the DJ began to speak softly into the microphone, but not too loud to overcome the music. "Sakura?" The voice startled her, and she looked up and smiled.

"Yeah?"

"You really do like him, right?"

"What?" She questioned with a tilt of her head, but from her tone, and the flicker in those sea foam eyes, she knew that Gaara had his answer.

"Go get him then…" As he spun her out, her mind processed the echoing words of the DJ.

"Change partners," had just stops drifting through the air, and surprisingly, strong arms caught onto her once more.

She looked up this time, and suddenly everything about the last few minutes fell into place. Emerald bore into charcoal, and that crooked smirk grew on his face.

"Care to dance?"

She didn't say anything, and Sasuke took it as his cue to continue their dance. Melody was giggling happily at something Gaara was saying to her – who knew that the girl was friendly to most people, and not just Sasuke.

"Why did you come tonight?" The question slipped before she could possibly stop herself.

"its prom, isn't that what people are supposed to do?" His voice wafted into her ear, like a pleasant smell when you first wake up in the morning.

"You hate dancing," she said automatically.

"Then I suppose my motives aren't too clear," he spoke softly, and carefully. She had to smile. "What?" He pressed, though she simply shook her head.

Her grip tightened on his hand before she let go, and slid a delicate palm and fingers to his neck. He responded by placing both hands at her waist – firm, to let her know he wasn't going to move them.

Though bodies were pressed together, and obnoxious lights seemed to flicker dimly over them, and the song was a little old fashioned, Sakura thought that perhaps this moment was one of the most romantic in her entire life. Though nothing happened, and she was sure that nothing would, she knew that something had changed right here that she could be happy with again.

"You look beautiful…" His voice broke into her reverie, and she watched his eyes flicker, motioning to her dress.

She nodded, "You look pretty spiffy too."

He raised an eyebrow at her as he spun her, and brought her back, closer than before. It seemed almost inevitable that the two were close to a kiss, before her lips tumbled out a phrase.

"Why did you do it?"

And slowly, the haze of happiness lifted off of her, and she was brought back to the old castle-like building, with many people she didn't enjoy the company of, food that she didn't prefer, and music that was too overplayed.

The scene shifted to two sophomores who were polar opposites, dancing at a junior prom that wasn't their own. Sasuke's movements turned from poised to stiff, as he tried to keep hold of his anger. For her to go and ruin this perfectly pleasant moment…

Instead, she pulled back first, and though they didn't stop swaying, she awaited her answer.

He wasn't going to be upfront and honest with her – no way in hell… He turned away, staring into the walls, as though they would have answers.

He knew the next words weren't the right ones, but it was the only way he could describe it without giving many details, "I wanted to win…"

At this point, she stopped the swaying altogether, and the song melted into yet another slow song, where couples around them glanced at the awkward pair, still standing without movement.

"So you didn't take another person's feelings into consideration?" She hissed, and he had to strain to her hear over the music. Her hands flexed and unflexed, as she shifted her weight to her heels.

"I took my own, and Itachi's when he lost – " He stopped before he finished, thinking maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. Sometimes this jerk could be so –

Sakura didn't have the chance to even describe what he was, as she leaned forward, eyes narrowed into slits. "I thought you were a boy who was just really guarded. I guess that doesn't make up for being a complete asshole though, does it?"

"I guess I was wrong about you, too." He said simply, and she stepped back, his words stinging more than she expected. "Maybe Karin's been right when she says you ruin little things and –"

Before he could say anymore, contact, and then searing fire arose on his face in a blaze. She had slapped him with an intimidating _smack_. He stood frozen for a moment as she shook in front of him.

She was tired of being the Sakura that would simply cry when something hurt her. Fuck him – she should have known… After Sai, she should have kept her guard up like she thought she would.

Sakura knew, that with Sasuke, she had failed to be completely bullet proof, just as she had always wanted.

As the sting of tears stung her eyes, she whipped around, eyes set on that nice looking, tall and old looking door. She held her head in confidence, and almost strutted from the scene.

"Sakura!" He yelled for her, and for a moment she hesitated. People who saw the incident (it was hard not to hear them) parted the way for the pair, the Sakura and Sasuke drama being too hard to resist – even on prom.

But quickly, Sakura moved forward again, knowing it would be a complete joke to wait. Almost lunching for the door, Sasuke began to move after her, just as her dress flowed out the opening. People closed the gap after him, attempting in vain to see what was going on.

"Sakura!" He called again, frustration ringing in his tone. No way had he ever done this for a girl – especially one that he was as furious at as her.

She burst onto the balcony, and the chills rushed at her skin. It prickled, and goose bumps arose, but she continued to stride until she ran into the ledge, angry that this happened – angry that Gaara had lead her to dance with him, angry at Naruto for putting it in her mind that Sasuke would treat her well, but mostly angry at herself for allowing it to go so far.

The door opened, and she suspected Ino, Naruto, Gaara, or hell, maybe even Shikamaru. "Sakura…"

She knew that voice from anywhere…

Right away, she whipped around to face him like a fly on a horse, "You're an insensitive jerk!" She burst out, truly before she could stop herself. Fire flared in her eyes, as hot tears began to slide down her porcelain cheeks.

He stepped forward, own anger reflected in his eyes, "You're a hotheaded bitch, Sakura!" His poor choice of words caused her to shove him back.

"Don't come near me!" She demanded with a stomp of her foot – she was far more menacing when she wasn't wearing a dress and high heels. "I wish I never would have fallen for you!" She screamed out, not even realizing what she said, "I wish I could go back before I saw a side of you that maybe was true, before it came out that it was complete bullshit! You fucking –"

She hadn't noticed him sweep up to her, and before she knew it, she was bent backwards, Sasuke's smooth lips pressed gently, but at the same time, forcefully onto her own.

All of the passion in his anger, so easily seen on a daily basis, was poured into the kiss. He was rough, but gentle, and the side that not many could see was shown to her, in that same gesture. After a few moments of initial shock, her eyes closed as well, but still when they reopened, he was kissing her.

A smile tugged at her lips, and by the time he pulled back, cheeks pink from slight embarrassment, a grin had exploded on her face.

"You ass."

"Bitch."

And then she kissed pulled the collar of his tux down, and kissed him one more time.

?

**A/N: Wow… What a wait… I'm going to be surprised if I have anyone still reading this. School got me busy and such, and – it was just bad! It's finished now though! :) So I hope you enjoyed!**

**I will try and update sooner in the future, of maybe I still get some love? XD**

**-zesty-**


	31. Back It Up

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters**

**Chapter 31: Back It Up**

Sakura rubbed her arms as she glanced around. Though it was very clearly the middle of the summer – hot rays of sunshine sparkling on the grass, the trees sighing contently with every welcomed, cool breeze, and the summer apparel clad on every person in the streets, the pinkette received a chill.

Glancing around, she wondered for a moment, if she should really bother her boyfriend.

_That's silly… Why would I give a fuck?_

But as the words rang through her head, sluggishly nudging her forward, she was still hesitant. Fisting her hair into a ponytail, and then letting it fall again, sweeping down her back, she found it so odd he'd be here on this particular day.

"Seventeen years old today…" She muttered as she gathered her courage and walked under the metal archway. It seemed like some big milestone, even if there was nothing barricading her way. "And he wants to spend it here?"

Itachi hadn't given her many details, but the freshly graduated Uchiha gave her a tip on where she would find his younger brother on this fine summer day.

She left the house with Naruto blowing up balloons, and Shikamaru and Ino fighting about the frosting that went on the cake.

Licking her lips, she pressed forward, starting up the neatly kept path, passing stones and monuments, and both fresh and shriveled flowers. With her eyes darting around suspiciously, she couldn't possibly understand where Sasuke could be… but then in the back of her mind, she knew exactly why he was here.

She recalled a long time ago, when Sasuke had been her unintentional second hand at finishing the mural on the wall. Shaking her head, memories of the thunderstorm, washing some of the paint on their hands onto, and down, the sidewalk, flowed through her head. He had told her that night, what had happened to him when he was almost seven years old…

And at that very moment in time, emerald eyes spotted a lone figure, sitting in front of two extravagant tomb stones.

Slowly, cautiously, she approached the boy she had somehow grown so fond of. They'd been through so much together, and suddenly seeing him so vulnerable like that scared her, causing her to reflect on the things that had happened in the past year.

The thrill of Itachi's little brother entering the school, and yet having that first awful confrontation with him in Kakashi's class… There was that first day he critiqued her on her sketch in art, and then the frightful, yet fulfilling night spent at his house. He had shown her his secrets, and tried to charm her, but the surprising part, was that she found herself mirroring his actions, and giving those things _back_ to him as well.

And then that first date came to her mind. Since prom at the end of April, she recalled many dates with Sasuke, filled with boringness, laughter, and heated arguments that always ended up in her yelling at him to stop the car, and getting out to walk the rest of the way home. They wouldn't talk for a week, and then suddenly, a rose would appear in her car, or on her doorstep, and then they would forgive each other.

But that first date… There was something so mysterious and enthralling about Sasuke that had truly infuriated her – and yet, at the same time, she found herself infatuated with the boy. She recalled those wretched weeks without Naruto at her side, or in her comfortable skinny jeans and long sleeve shirts, instead her feet shoved into heels, and hair straightened into a glossy smooth.

And then, the horrid night of Karin's party. She stopped for a moment, freezing as she collected her undecided emotions that night. She had been furious, but angry not just at Sasuke, but at herself for letting it happen. She remembered trying to justify the actions – to make that wrong into a small right, and yet nothing could come to her mind. And she remembered Sasuke's attempts to talk to her, before he would grunt, and gave up for good.

But what had scared her the most about that night, was that once it wasn't the talk of the school anymore, and she finally came to full grips with what happened, she wasn't really that bothered by it anymore. Of course, his win at the art show using _her_ for inspiration had kind of pissed her off, but seeing how he protected her against that asshole Sai, and the small little things that he did no longer bothered her, she knew that Sasuke was sorry.

That didn't stop her from having fun pissing him off at school anymore… The tease of the dress arguing with Gaara for prom was priceless, and she appreciated when people came and told her later how many glares she'd gotten from him. Chuckling as she stood, frozen in her spot, watching Sasuke lost in his own world, she studied him for a moment. Another thing triggered in her memory – that day… It was the scariest thing she'd ever endured in her life…

Those men who came, and threatened to kill her for even looking _down_… She didn't honestly think she would live through the day, and yet, here are Sasuke and Naruto, a rekindled friendship, there to make an almost _comedic_ joke about the whole ordeal. As she sat on the grass watching her fellow students bustle about after it was all said and done, there was a certain pride for Sasuke she felt then, and that's when, subconsciously of course, she realized that there was something more than just a bitter hate there for him…

Prom came, and soon all emotions were let loose… but she was glad it happened. Sakura hated to cry in front of people – she hated to show her weakness, and she smiled as she continued down the path, closer to the Uchiha has she recognized how so alike they were in that personality trait.

If it hadn't happened though, she wouldn't be here, looking for him now, inviting him to spend yet another special day with her once more.

"Sasuke…" His name left her tongue calmly, and he jumped with a start, surprised to see her. A gentle smile grew on her face as she made her way closer, encouraged by the lack of yelling on his part.

"What are you doing here?" He half demanded, though she could see a flicker of relief in his eyes.

"I could ask you the same," She gestured to their surroundings, "What a depressing place for a birthday…"

He turned quietly, and stared back at the two figures in front of him. She plopped down in the grass next to him, and read. One he was familiar with – the picture being created at the art show during school. The tombstone of his mother… paired with the tombstone of his father.

Though he never spoke the words, she could imagine the conversation in her head, if he was such a person to express his sorrows.

_Another year gone without them… Without knowing what they think of me, or Itachi, or what we've become…_

It seemed cheesy and poetic, but she leaned against him anyways, pretending he had spoken to her, and not her mind to her. "You know they're still with you…"

"Don't feed me lines from movies, Haruno," he growled (she ignored it), "I know you're notorious for doing that."

She snorted, "Notorious is a pretty big word for you – they'd be proud…" It might have sounded harsh to an onlooker, but Sasuke broke into a grin that Sakura had known he would show.

They were quiet for a moment as Sasuke took in the fruity scent of Sakura's shampoo. He closed his eyes, and let the sun beat down on him, as he slowly slipped into thought once more. However, he wasn't able to get too far on the depressing train before she kicked him off again, by shoving him down. He fell on his side into the grass, and rolled on to his back, glaring up at her.

"What was that for?" He barked, and she only smiled innocently.

"Absolutely nothing," she said as she climbed on top of him. Then, using all of her strength, she plopped down hard on his stomach, causing an 'oof' to escape from his lips. Now that she was using him as a mattress, she pressed her cheek against the crook of his neck, and closed her eyes, eyelashes tickling his sensitive skin.

"You don't want to spend your birthday here, do you?" She questioned quietly.

He sighed, and put a lazy arm on her back, shielding one area of her from the burning sun, but he did not answer her.

She nudged him persistently for a little while, before she got tired of him not answering and rolled off of him. When he only stared at her in question, she stood up and extended a hand. When he did nothing that signaled he was going to accept her offer, she bent down and yanked on his arm, trying in vain to hoist him up.

He let out an irritated laugh and slowly sat up, though with some trouble due to the tugging on his limb. Snatching it away from her, he stood up and glared, "You're pretty annoying."

"So are you," She glared at him, "Come on… I don't want you to spend your birthday here…" She took his hand gingerly, "And I know they wouldn't either…"

He glanced back at the tombstones, an unreadable expression flitting over his face, before he turned back, "I guess…" She squeezed his hand, knowing it must be hard to walk away from his deceased parents, into the arms of other people who cared about him.

"So how did you find me?" He questioned after a long walk of silence. She saw the gate leading out of the cemetery, and immediately, her mood brightened a little. The hard part was over…

"Itachi gave me a little hint."

This caused Sasuke to grumble in discontent. She rolled her eyes, "He cares about you – that's why he sent me, and didn't go after you himself…"

"Just because he wasn't affected –"

She threw his hand away from her, startling him… almost… Uchiha's just didn't get startled.

"Stop it, Sasuke!" Her voice came out surprisingly powerful, "Do you not understand?" She growled at him, "Itachi had to try and be strong for _you_! He had to try and pretend he was okay so that _you_ wouldn't get too angry or upset! You weren't around him at all when you were young, so how would you know how he reacted to it?"

"How would _you_ know either?" He challenged, narrowing his eyes at the fuming girl.

"Who's house was he at all the time! Who would have Itachi over when he was babysitting me, and talk about it with him when he made me lunch, or sat with me while I fell asleep?" She glared, "Just because you're too selfish to see what he's tried to do for you –"

Even if she was right, Sasuke didn't want to hear it, "If I'm so fucking selfish, and Itachi is just a saint, why don't you just fucking go date him!" He screeched at her, and her mouth immediately chomped shut.

She glared at him, and he dished it right back, before she turned around. "Go ahead and mope around all day! I don't care!" But already both of their anger was fading, even as she stomped down the street.

Sasuke watched her go, half wondering if he should go after her, since that was obviously not the direction of his house, or if he should leave her be. He knew that he wanted to call out to her, but thought it best to let her cool down. Turning on his heel, he dug his hands into his pockets and walked the opposite way.

?

Pushing open the door of his house, suddenly more people than he could really ever remember meeting by name popping out of every nook and cranny of his first floor.

"Surprise!" They all beamed at him, and he let on a small smirk of appreciation.

They knew not to expect much, and allowed Naruto to bound forward, eyes gleaming. "Teme! I can't believe you're seriously turning seventeen!" The glee in the boy's eyes scared Sasuke, and he pushed him back.

"Thanks," He grunted at everyone, as they slowly started to disperse back into their own groups of friends to party at the Uchiha manor.

"So where's Sakura?" It was Itachi who moved towards Sasuke now, shifting his drink from one hand to another – both of the now-juniors eyed it suspiciously.

"We fought, because she's stupid and sticks up for you."

Itachi snorted and leaned forward, "Why could you have possibly been fighting about me?" Something about the way he said it really irked Sasuke, and he shoved passed his brother, tromping up the stairs.

The air was no clearer, and there were probably _twice_ as many bodies as the first floor, so he shifted around people, trying not to be seen (which was difficult, being an Uchiha and all) as he slipped through his secret door, and slowly climbed the stairs.

He hadn't had a lot of time to go up lately, and work on any new paintings. Recently, he had been working on something especially great for Sakura's birthday in a few months, knowing he would need all the time in the world to perfect it before it was good enough for her.

But thinking about her just made him mad for the time being, so he shoved his things aside, and collapsed before his window, watching the slow movement of the outside world.

The floor creaked, but Sasuke didn't bother to turn around as the top door opened slightly. There was a light knock on the old, but sturdy wood, and a masculine voice, "May I come in?"

"Do whatever you want," He answered gruffly.

Itachi waltzed into the room then, and sat beside Sasuke, much to his younger brother's delight. They were getting along a lot better now, but there were still a _lot_ of problems that they needed to work out… but even Itachi was losing hope now.

"I brought you something…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but took the box when it was handed to him. Slowly pulling the obnoxious wrapping paper, with _Happy Birthday_ plastered all over it, he practically threw off the cover to the smooth box.

There inside was a dusty old stuffed animal, ragged and smelly from being neglected for so many years, but there nevertheless. He pulled it out, and brushed his hand against the still soft, green fur of the dinosaur.

"You kept it…" He spoke softly, as though speaking in a regular voice would ruin the moment.

Itachi must have thought so too, because he only nodded. "There's more," He urged after watching Sasuke fondle the old dinosaur for a moment. Gingerly, his younger brother placed it on the ground, and reached further into the box.

Inside was paint… It was some pretty expensive stuff – but that's not what he noticed. He realized that he'd been eying this exact paint for at _least_ three months, and couldn't believe Itachi had scrutinized him enough to realize that's what he'd been hoping for this year for his birthday. He glanced at his brother, almost saying something, but decide it more in character to keep quiet.

But at the very bottom of the box, after pulling out a variety of colors, was a small box made out of wood. It was peculiar looking, and probably a lot older than the loft they sat in at that very moment.

Sliding it around, he finally got it open, and peered inside. Itachi shifted next to him, as though excited for his reaction. He tugged lightly at a chain, and out came a gold pendant of a dragon, slithered around, and breathing diamond fire onto the Uchiha family crest.

He blinked in surprise, glancing up at his brother, this time, not afraid to show his emotions. "What are you doing, giving this to _me_?" He gasped, glancing back down at it.

"I know father had always talked about giving it to me… But, you always loved wearing those strange string woven or beaded necklace things that I would make you at camps…" He shook his head, "I know mother was trying to convince him to give it to you…"

He let on a small smile, "To be honest, I just found it about a month ago… and right away thought about giving it to you for your birthday…"

Sasuke didn't answer, but instead slipped it around his neck, where it hung, comfortably and well around his neck. It seemed to fit him perfectly, and he suddenly felt proud of wearing it.

Itachi didn't even have to ask if his younger brother liked it. Instead he turned towards the window, "I hope you didn't mind that I sent Sakura to the cemetery today…"

Sasuke turned towards it too, watching a bird whoosh past it quickly, "I didn't."

He sideways glanced at Itachi, and noticed for the first time, how tired he looked. As the older brother brushed some stray hair from his eyes, he tilted his head, "It's okay to still be upset you know… Just because it's been a little over ten years, doesn't mean you have to forget about them… But it doesn't mean you have to stay sad."

Sasuke almost let a smart-ass remark slip, but held his tongue when he remembered what Itachi had just done for him. Instead he listened.

"I know that you think that I was happy you left, because you thought that I was trying to get rid of you to make myself look better… There is nothing worse, little brother, than seeing your best friend look at you with all the betrayal your eyes held that night. I would have never wished for you to leave, but I wanted to help you… And I knew…" He sucked in a deep breath to keep his voice from wavering, "That you being around me as you grew up, wouldn't be a good idea…" He shook his head, refusing to look at Sasuke.

They sat quiet for a moment, barely flinching when they heard something break downstairs.

"I wish, that even if you don't forgive me, that I could still keep you as my little brother…" He shook his head, "We're the only thing each other has left Sasuke," This time, he turned to face him, "And I would hate to lose you… I know it's a hard thing, death… but I know mother would not want you to face the world with distrust and hate…"

It was a risky line, but Sasuke took it in the way that Itachi meant it, and turned slowly towards him. Though tears pricked his eyes, he refused to let his weakness go. "I still hate you…" He shook his head, "You've always thought you were better – and I was always striving to be better… But… I wouldn't have been able to grow without you in my mind," it didn't sound like him at all, and the words tasted foreign on his tongue, but he pressed forward, shaking his head, "Thank you, Itachi…"

That was all the more talk about it they could muster, before the older Uchiha poked his brother in the forehead, knowing that a hug would be going too far. He stood then, and glanced out the window again, smirking.

"You should head downstairs…"

"Why?"

"Somebody is here to see you…" Itachi walked out of the room then, leaving Sasuke to collect his thoughts for a few moments before he moved out of the room, propping the dinosaur up by the window for some much needed sunlight, the crest pendant dangling safely around his own neck.

After shoving past random mobs of party-goers, he finally made it outside to the front yard, where Sakura was sitting on the fountain ledge, directly in front of the house, only about fifteen feet from the stairs. Their driveway encircled the thing, and he found, the more she was there, and the warmer it got, the more attracted to it, she became.

He started down the steps towards her, and immediately she stood up.

"Sasuke! I'm sorry, I was out of line I didn't –"

He smiled – a rare sight, that only Sakura ever truly got to see – and hugged her. "Sakura…" Her name rolled of his tongue like a certain type of candy, as his lips breathed fiery breath into her ear, "Thank you…"

She laughed, shuttering in delight at his newfound optimism towards the day. Wrapping her arms back around him, she allowed her emerald eyes to close, blocking out the sun and the view of the party through the tall windows of the house.

Sakura swore to herself that she would be bullet proof the next time a guy came around... She promised herself she'd hide her emotions, and be totally bad ass just so if he wanted her, he would have to fight…

What she didn't know, however was, that she swore she'd be bullet proof the next time a guy came around, and yet… Sasuke still broke through her armor and got close. He was just as stubborn and distrusting as her, and _man_ did he fight to win her affection, whether she truly noticed it or not…

She pulled back and looked at him, blinking lazily before she almost fell into him, straight into a daze, and into a world that only she could be in. Her lips crushed against his as a smile drew out on both of their lips.

He chuckled as he was forced against the fountain from the pressure of her, her hands slowly trailing down his chest. She broke apart for a moment, her breath puffing softly into his ear. He bit back a small hiss of pleasure, before she narrowed her eyes and a smile graced her lips.

"I've still got'cha…" Before he knew what was going on, she threw him backwards, and he stumbled into the fountain, a great splash barely hitting her arms as she burst into spouts of laughter.

Damn her! "You're still a total bitch…" He sluggishly moved towards the end of the fountain. He wasn't really mad, but he would be damned if he let her know that. The water was clean, and it felt nice in this feverish heat.

She laughed and leaned forward, "You fall for it every time…" She shook her head, reminding him that this wasn't the first time.

He shook his head, watching as she leaned dangerously close to the edge, and made a swift movement, yanking her into the fountain as well. They wrestled for a moment, before she popped up, flushed with anger.

"And so do you…" He pointed out, also reminding her that this wasn't the first time _he'd pulled her_ into the fountain.

"You're still a total asshole…" She grumbled, flicking her wet hair in his face.

But even as she did it, she smiled, and he walked closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck, though before he could say more, a suddenly scream came from nowhere.

"_Sasuke's wet in the fountain!"_ Naruto's shriek brought the couple to a full alert, as a wild pack of fan girls, lead in charge by Karin, already glaring at the pinkette, stumbled out of the house screaming.

"_Dobe!_" Sasuke boomed. Before the mob reached them, Sasuke and Sakura put their backs together, ready to defend themselves against the violence that was bestowed upon them. In the background, they heard Naruto yell something faintly… something about payback, and running over cows.

Itachi walked to the door and leaned against the frame, watching everybody begin to argue outside, and Sakura's anger flare as Karin tried to throw herself at Sasuke.

Soon, two new presences joined him. Glancing out of the corner of his eye vision, he saw Kisame and Sasori, standing beside him grinning.

"I'm kind of glad this played out like it did…" Sasori said simply, leaning back.

"I didn't think I'd ever see the day that Itachi lost a bet," Kisame chuckled, his pointed teeth glinting as he smirked.

Itachi was just about to say something about their comments, trying to convince him that he only wanted Sasuke to be happy, otherwise he would have won, but as he turned, his jaw dropped. And Uchiha's jaws _never_ dropped.

"I told you it would happen before we started college," Sasori nodded all knowingly, holding out his hand and gesturing with his fingers, "Pay up…" And dejectedly, Kisame placed a large sum of money in the redhead's hands.

_Some things will never change…_ Itachi thought, as he watched Sakura tackle Sasuke back into the fountain, hardly wondering if she was trying to kiss him, or drown him. He shook his head, _they really never will…_

?

**A/N: Well! This took me so long because I had a horrible beginning, and today I just decided to delete the whole thing, and totally try something different, and it only took me like two hours to write! :D**

**I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm not sure if this is the end, or if I should add on a couple chapters of their relationship just for fluff or what – you review and tell me what you think I should do!**

**Also, check out my new story:**

_Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold_

**It starts right away with dramatic Sasuke/Sakura stuff, and plenty of things going on to make sure there's no filler! I hope you enjoyed!**

**-zesty-**


	32. Epilogue: Assholes and Bitches

**Bullet Proof**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**A/N: It's been a while, I know… I'm just doing pretty much a fluffy chapter, and then I'm sad to say, that it'll end :( but then that's why all of you should move to the amazing _new_ story of Sakura and Sasuke! Yayy!**

**Epilogue: Assholes and Bitches**

"Sister Dear! You _will_ be late for school if you doing get up!" He chimed, pushing open the door.

But Sakura was standing in front of her mirror, her hair in the midst of being put into a pony tail. He raised an eyebrow at her. Though Sasori had graduated, he still never missed the chance to wake his sister up. She sighed, damning Sasori for being incredibly smart.

He would be doing online classes for awhile before finally heading out with his friends to college.

"What are you already doing awake?" He asked her, trying to stifle a laugh.

She was in a pink T-shirt and shorts her eyebrows knit together in frustration. "It's too _fucking_ hot to sleep! And now I have to wear this! You mean I have to look _decent_ on the first day of school?"

"Oh dear, how horrible is that…" She could sense the sarcasm basically dripping off of his tone, and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever…"

"Guess who you get to see today that you haven't seen in like… a whole month?"

She glared at him, "Get out of my room…" Jumping around and letting her hair fall back down to her back, she snatched up her pillow, hands sinking into the soft, purple pillow, and whipping it at him. Sasori back peddled out of the room and slammed the door shut, snickering and singing something to their mother when she asked what was going on.

She rolled her eyes and glanced back in the mirror. Eh… There was no reason to put her hair up. It was fine just the way it was… Sasori did have a point – but that didn't mean she was going to get all dressed up and show him she _cared_.

?

Charcoal eyes watched out the window as the scenery shot by. The radio was loud, playing some song he knew, but didn't care about. The sun was suffocating him in the car, but his blonde friend was determined to keep the heat off and the windows down… Only he didn't want his window down – it would screw up his hair.

His head thudded back against the seat as he glanced over at his friend. Right now, Naruto was spending less time watching the road and more time singing (rather off key he might add) to the song. Distracted, he thought maybe he could slip on the cool air.

His hand shot out and retracted as quickly as possible. Naruto didn't notice at first, until the vent blasted him in the face. _Damn… so close… _

"Sasuke!" He yelled, slamming on the breaks for a stop light. Said raven haired teenager held onto the seat for dear life. "I told you no air!"

"Shut up, Dobe… we're turning on the air…" He reached over and smacked Naruto, before shutting his window, turning on the air, and glaring his hardest.

This didn't phase the blonde ever, but he was feeling particularly nice today, so he let the air go on… _Just this once…_

"I'm buying you a car for your birthday, Dobe…" Sasuke shook his head in disgust, "If you're going to insist on driving up north whenever we go, you need something nicer than this piece of junk…"

"Don't talk about my baby like that!" Naruto gasped, rubbing the steering wheel. "I finally got my license, why can't you just be happy for me?"

"Hn…" Sasuke replied, and leaned out the window again.

Jiraiya insisted that they come another time to his house up north, and visit Sasuke's uncle while they were at it. It wasn't very exciting, but there was water, no Karin, lots of free time, no Itachi, no Karin, and nothing that Dobe could yell at him for.

His only regret? That Sakura couldn't go with them… She was always fun to have around, but Sasuke didn't credit that to them dating… It wouldn't be right – she was kick ass all on her own.

And he hadn't seen the girl for about a month.

What a waste of a perfectly good summer…

"Hey look! Our high school! Are you excited for this year to start all over again?" Naruto beamed, rolling down the window to stick his head out of the car…

How did he pass his driver's test?

"Dobe!" He slapped his blonde friend, "There's a person walking across the street!" Naruto swerved out of the way, and yelled to them to find a different place to walk as they turned into the school parking lot.

He would remind himself to ask Sakura for a ride home after school… Since they'd probably be hanging out anyways.

He would never admit it, because Uchihas just didn't _admit_ things, but he had missed her. Her snide remarks and arguments, and the way he could never stay mad at her… It had been an eternity since they'd seen each other.

_I'm growing soft…_

He thought to himself… But in some ways – he didn't really care.

Stepping out of the car, he scanned the parking lot, seeing many familiar faces. Ino jumping on Shikamaru's back and Naruto yelled to them. They turned around and the blonde girl gasped.

"Sasuke!" She yelled, running over to him, turquoise eyes wide. The sun hit her skin in the way that suggested she'd been to the beach _a lot_ this summer, and he chuckled, wondering if his girlfriend had been there too.

They hadn't talked in a while either, because she insisted that she wasn't going to spend all of her time _texting_ Sasuke, and that he would have to call her. Of course, their time schedules never normally matched up, so it came down to talking only a couple of times a week. That was okay though – because whenever they did talk, it was normally for four plus hours at a time… Until they argued and Sakura hung up…

"You're looking soooo good this year!" She giggled, "This is going to be your first year being here at the _beginning _of the year!" She laughed again, staring with a little drool at the raven, but still clinging to Shikamaru's arm. "Can't wait to see you later!" She winked, "Billboard stole your schedule… We all have lunch together!" She licked her lips and winked, "See you around!"

Shikamaru grumbled something to the girl, but it was completely harmless. She was aware of every boundary keeping her off of Sasuke, so it was just some harmless fangirl flirting.

He recalled the information that she'd let slip, even if it hadn't been on purpose. Sakura was already in school, so it really didn't pay to stand out in the parking lot with Dobe, showing off his 'flashy' car. He was embarrassed to be seen stepping out of such a piece of shit.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he puffed out a breath and walked through the parted crowd of freshman girls, for the first time laying their eyes on the new God of the school. He winked at one of them, just to see the affect (he kind of missed that, he would admit), and he had to watch his step, as to not step in the puddle she'd just become.

Smirking, with more self confidence than would fit in that already large Uchiha head, he pushed open the doors of the school, hoping to find the pinkette soon. As he'd thought before, but would never admit, he definitely missed her. Subconsciously, his eyes swept the area as he looked for her, but to no avail.

"Teme!" Naruto bounded towards him and gripped his arm in a tugging manner. "There's a presentation in the gym! We've got to go there right now!" They were already being pulled in the current of students.

"But –" he was about to protest, but realized there wouldn't be much point. There were so many kids heading to the auditorium, that there wouldn't even be a chance to try and squeeze one person back the other direction… Not to mention, even if the girl was nearby, it was going to be impossible to spot her.

They silently made their way among all of the chatter, and every now and again, Sasuke would have to glare at someone to get them to stop staring, or Naruto would exchange a friendly greeting after a long summer to someone that the raven hadn't ever bothered trying to get to know.

When they reached the room, there seemed to be a lot more space. "There's Hinata!" Naruto gleamed, as he bounded over to their small group. They were already seated in chairs, goofing off and rummaging through each other's cell phones from this summer's pictures.

Sasuke moved forward, his eyes staring hard, trying to find her. Naruto had slipped animatedly in front of the isle, trying to explain to everyone that he finally got his license. He saw Hinata sweep some decently long hair out of her face, smiling at the blonde while he spoke. She'd become a beauty all in the span of three or four months.

Kiba was there as well, yelling about something or another with, surprisingly enough, Gaara, who simply smirked. It looked like he was winning – maybe he'd finally officially attend school here instead of just coming and going as he pleased.

"Looking for someone?"

He whipped around, to see a girl who truly stunned him in front of him. Her emerald eyes contrasted brightly with her tanned skin, worn from the many days out in the sun. She was in dark shorts and a simple T-shirt, but her glossy hair cascaded down her back in a natural way, form fitting directly to her and only her.

Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and though there was a mock scowl on her face (probably trying to imitate him), her eyes danced with happiness.

A lopsided grin overtook his face – genuine… one barely ever used, and not for many people, as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah actually…"

"Oh really?" She tilted her hair, and he caught a glimpse of diamond earrings – probably a gift from Ino over the summer.

"She's about this tall –" he put a hand just above her own height, "She's moody and annoying, and a total bitch…"

Her face puckered as she thought, and then her eyes seemed to become all the more dazzling, "Oh, you mean Karin?" She gasped, lips curling into a sly smile.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his face completely serious, "You really are a bitch…"

"It's nice to see you too, Sasuke…" She almost, _almost_ purred at him, tugging on his shirt, and almost in slow motion ghosting her lips over his, hair flowing back behind her from the swift movement. It reminded him of a cheesy movie, but sad to say he was loving every second of it.

Before she could pull away however, he slipped his arms around her small waist, and pulled her heatedly against him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing around hers, as she sighed contently. Yes, she'd missed him too, he concluded smugly.

For a moment, they stayed like this, wrapped up in each other and nothing else, before Naruto was yelling something at the both of them. Breaking apart, he grinned at her, before taking her hand and leading her over to their friends. Everyone greeted Sasuke, and regreeted the pinkette with a goofy grin.

They settled down to watch the presentation, Sasuke's hand never leaving the girl's leg. Both of them tried to pay attention to the stage, where the principal droned on about nothing in particular, but each kept glancing hastily at the other, wondering when it was they would be able to have an honest conversation.

Eventually, Tsunade had said something extremely serious, but also pretty ridiculous, and let Sasuke chuckling, no matter how hard he tried to control it. Her keen hearing picked up on it like a cat, and her head whipped towards him, eyebrow raised.

"Anything you'd like to add, Uchiha? Just because Itachi is your brother, doesn't mean you get away with things. His charm didn't work on us all, you know…" She ground out, glaring at him.

He thought for a moment, trying to come up with a snide comment, but decided against pissing off Tsunade, for a chance to embarrass Sakura. He leapt up, almost dramatically, and yanked her with him. Even as he turned in her direction – all in the matter of less than two seconds – her face was already as red as a tomato. Without much time, he slammed his lips onto hers, and she gasped, allowing him entrance into her mouth.

Everyone was ooohing, cat calling, and laughing, while there were the few (much like Karin at, thankfully, the other end of the auditorium) who hung their jaws far away from their mouth, unbelieving of the boldness they saw.

What nobody noticed was the flicker of a smile on Tsunade's face, before she chucked a shoe in their direction. Of course, they broke apart, and the shoe hit Naruto on the side of the face, earning a wail.

He searched her face, trying to find a reaction. She wore a poker face for a few moments, before slapping him upside the head with a glare, "You're such a fucking asshole!" She declared.

He could only laugh. But after she saw how genuine his laugh was – not forced or fake after all this time, and everything that had happened, she couldn't help but let her anger slip away.

?

"Did you see Sai?" His grip on her hand tightened at the question, and he flashed her a small smirk.

"Yeah actually…" He nodded slowly, waiting to see how much she cared.

A flicker of a smile appeared on her face as they walked, one that he knew not to mistake for anything to get jealous over. "And?" She probed, as though waiting for something else.

"Hn…" He decided to pretend he was mad at her interest, and she huffed, turning away. Though he knew she wasn't _really_ mad, just because she didn't try to pull her hand away.

They were quiet for a moment, before she growled impatiently, "And?" She pressed, stopping them in the middle of the sidewalk.

They were on their way to meet Naruto for ramen – the three of them almost inseparable. It was the day they first had their own conversation, and Sakura had declared it the place that worked miracles. Except, today it wasn't raining, and she didn't want to choke Naruto the moment he called the raven over to the table.

Now, in the middle of the sidewalk, she held her ground, feet glued to the cement as he tried to tug her along. Her eyes were begging for an answer, and he smirked.

"And his face is still fucked up from your punch to the nose…" Her eyes seemed to light up as though it were Christmas and the Fourth of July all mixed together.

Suddenly her hand slipped away, and she started a jig of happiness in front of her. He cocked his head to the side, watching a couple try and go around her on the street. They glanced nervously at Sasuke, mouthing to him, questioning if he knew who she was.

He shook his head, acting just as worried back, mouthing _no…_ But as soon as Sakura was finished, he snuck up to her, and slipped an arm around her shoulders once more.

"I'm so glad that his face is ugly…" She decided with a curt nod.

He chuckled, "He never competed with me anyways, so I don't really care…"

The girl raised an eyebrow, "That's what you think…"

Sasuke stopped, seemingly very upset by this. "You mean that bastard was sexier than me?" Sakura's eyes sparkled, because she knew she could have some fun.

"Maybe he was…" She shrugged innocently, and continued to walk as though it were no big deal.

Sasuke was right on her heels, pestering her with questions, before she couldn't hold it in any longer. Howls of laughter escaped her throat, and that's when Sasuke realized he'd been played. She couldn't help it though – it was so cute, and uncharacteristic of him to ask so many questions.

"Bitch…" He mumbled, walking ahead of the girl.

She rolled her eyes, chortles still rolling out of her mouth a little as she jogged to catch up. "Hey!" She called to him, grabbing his hand and turning him around.

His face was red with anger, and he was about to tell her off, but she didn't give him any time. She wrapped him up in a hug and rested her head on his shoulder. Sasuke had never been one for hugs, but that girl gave the best of them.

Slowly, and with a sigh, he let his arms wrap around her smaller body and hold her close to him, in a simple gesture that he felt relinquished the most love. She pulled away from him only a little, and smiled at his face. Though he didn't return the gesture as energetically than she, Sakura knew that only a few people that he really cared about got that smile.

At least she knew that Karin never got it…

Leaning in, her eyes fluttered shut, as she kissed him, forgetting all of her problems and worries of the past, and letting go to see the future.

This time, Sasuke pulled back, and smiled down at her first, to which Sakura squealed and hugged him tight.

"Let's go get some ramen!" She declared, marching off, her hand never leaving his.

"Hn…" Was the only reply she received.

?

**A/N: WOW! That took me long enough to write! I'm so sorry! Lol, this is going to be my last chapter! Waaah! Hopefully, I'm going to rewrite my revenge is a dish best served cold story, or maybe start a new Sakura/Sasuke story soon!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited and alerted! Much appreciated! I hope to hear from some of you on any new Naruto stories I have in the future too! Thanks!**

**-zesty-**


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